Whenever It Rains
by i ve landed
Summary: The death of Sakura Haruno's parents trigger a series of events that change the lives of everyone in Konoha, especially Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi-centric, Pairings: Kakashi/Other with more to come. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Whenever It Rains**

**By Sayachimaera**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 1 - Bad News**

_Author's Note - While I have written fic before, I have never posted it. I have been reading fic for years, but this is the first fandom that has inspired a more active role. This is the first fic I have ever posted, so constuctive criticism is appreciated. Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

--

"I am sorry, Sakura, but your parents..." Tsunade's voice trailed off into silence. The rest of the sentence betrayed her and she couldn't get the words out if she wanted to. She looked into the watery green eyes of the teenage girl standing in front of her desk. Even before the first teardrop fell, Tsunade was certain she could hear it: the sound of Sakura Haruno's heart, breaking.

The pink-haired girl fell to the ground, trembling in sobs and for the first time, in a long time, Kakashi Hatake felt overwhelmed. Losing his own father at a young age, Kakashi had some idea of what his former student was feeling. He felt bad for Tsunade, having to tell her student such painful news. It was no secret the Hokage had developed strong, maternal ties with her young student. As for Sakura, herself, Kakashi had always known her to be emotional. She was close to her family, and they had always been very proud of her skills. Sakura's generous nature allowed her to become close with many people of and around Konoha, except Kakashi.

The silver haired man sighed, letting his hand ruffle her pink hair. If the previously comforting gesture had any effect, it was unknown to him: Naruto and Shizune both had the girl in a bear hug as Sai watched on, not sure what to do. Kakashi closed his eyes. _It's Ame, all over again, _ he thought as the memory flashed through his mind.

_**A little over fifteen years ago...**_

_"Ame, what's wrong?" A fifteen year old Kakashi ran his fingers along a pale face, tracing and wiping falling tears._

_"I-I..." A fifteen year old girl with pink hair and intense eyes sniffled. Gentle drops of rain has started to mix with tears falling from her green eyes. She closed them, begging for the strength to finish this, to say goodbye. When she opened her eyes again to stare up at him, Kakashi noticed they had changed colour the way they always seemed to with her emotions. They were grey now, and grey was not a good sign... "I have to go away, Kakashi-kun."_

_"Where?" Perhaps her family needed her help or a maybe a relative wanted her to visit. It never registered in his youthful mind what she might actually have meant by those words. They were teenagers, but old enough to be in love..._

_"I-I can't tell you."_

_"Ame-chan," Kakashi felt her name escape his lips. He was terrified now. Terrified of losing her. Last year, he had lost Obito. The pain had been agonizing, but between the generous care from Rin and the love and understanding of Ame, Kakashi had survived. _

_Now, she was standing here in the rain, her hand trembling in his. Pain and guilt contorted her pale, beautiful thin face and Kakashi couldn't help but feel a burst of emotion erupt inside him. "How long?" His face was serious, determined, and sad girl looked up in confusion. "How long will you be gone?" He repeated, desperation creeping from his throat, up to the face he bared only for her._

_"I-I don't know," She whispered. _

The flashback released Kakashi, his gaze more focused and meeting the golden stare of the Hokage. "Are you alright, Hatake?" Her voice, like her face, expressed suspicion as much as it suggested concern.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I do have a question, though perhaps now might not be the best of times given-"

"-Just ask, Hatake..." Tsunade's eyes drifted to her still-sniffling student being comforted by her blond teammate.

"Alright. Since Sakura is still underage, under whose care will she be put under?" Kakashi figured Tsunade had already drawn up the papers for her to legally adopt her student, but when he heard the stutter of the girl in question, he realized how unreliable assumptions were.

"W-wi-with my s-sister, r-right, Sh-hishou?" Sakura barely managed to whisper out the words, and almost wished she hadn't. Her train of thought was confirmed with the shocked gasp of her orange-clad teammate.

"Sister? Sakura! You never mentioned you had a sister before!" Naruto's surprise was matched only by that of Kakashi. Sai remained impassive, while the rest of Team Seven stared from each other to Sakura and back again.

"I-I don't understand. Tsunade, what-" Kakashi began to stutter in confusion before the blond woman abruptly cut him off.

"-Yes." _Well, I guess the jig is up,_ Tsunade thought, holding back a smirk as she met the eye of a silver-haired man looking for answers. _This complicates so much for you, Kakashi. For all of your team, to hear about this woman...it wasn't supposed to be like this._ With a deep sigh, she continued. "Yes, Sakura has a sister, an older one, with whom she will stay, unless there are any serious objections--within reason," Tsunade glared at a squeamish Naruto, who immediately withdrew his hand from the air.

"Ha-has she been in-"

"I have sent a member of ANBU with the message. She has been on a very important S-ranked mission for the last few months, and they will retrieve her status. I have no doubt, Sakura, that she will do whatever it takes to get her as soon as possible, but I think you'll agree with me that she'll only leave when her mission is complete." Gold eyes met green, and Kakashi wished he could read between the lines. Tsunade had known but he, the great Copy Nin of Konoha, hadn't? Kakashi couldn't help it, he searched every inch of the file he had memorized, only to come up short. He looked at Sakura, still wiping tears.

"Don't look at me like that, Kakashi-sensei. I had to," Her eyes to the floor and her slouched posture betraying the shame she felt at the revelation of her most guarded secret. Finally, her eyes met his. The look in her eyes caught him by surprise, as did the words that left her mouth. "Her life depended on it."

Before anyone could ask her for an explanation, Sakura ran out of the office in a blur of pink and red.

"Wait. Before you go, I want to request something of all of you." Tsunade sighed, the males of Team Kakashi giving her their full and undivided attention. "I am taking Sakura off medical duties. For now, it's just for the week, but once I hear from her sister about her mission status, I may lengthen it so the two can properly mourn." Everyone nodded in agreement before she continued. "Sakura is to move in with her sister until she is of age. After that, the two will decide what to do about the Haruno compound, amongst other things. Until her sister returns, I--come in!" A knock interrupted. All heads turned to see Anko Mitarashi enter the room, a questioning wrinkle upon her brow.

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" Her gaze left Kakashi, Naruto and Sai for the blond behind the desk.

"Just in time, Anko. I would like you to assist the rest of Team Kakashi in getting Sakura moved into her sister's house," Tsunade continued. As expected, Anko's mouth gaped and she moved her hand to cover the emotion just a bit too late: Kakashi's eyebrow was raised in suspicion. His gaze traveled from Anko to Tsunade and Shizune. For all the thoughts running through his head, he didn't say anything. He didn't bother because the blond idiot to his right would, without a doubt, beat him to it.

"H-how do you know about Sakura's sister?!" Furious blue eyes and a snarl were soon directed at the dark haired, mesh-clad woman.

_Great. She's gonna _love_ this. The last thing she needs to deal with are these knuckleheads, _Anko thought as she sighed in defeat. "She's my best friend, and for a while, she was my teammate. How could I _not_ know her?"

Before more questions could be posed to the surprised and agitated kunoichi, Tsunade cut in. "You still have that extra key to her house, Anko?"

"Yeah, me and Ibiki-sensei, only. Does he-"

"-I have him on call, just in case. Both Haruno girls will be making some serious adjustments to their lives. While I can't guarantee Sakura will talk, I know his former student probably will." The thoughtful expression on Tsunade's face changed when her gaze rested on Kakashi again. "You're all dismissed."

As everyone but Shizune left the office, Tsunade reached for her cup of sake and took a generous gulp of the now-luke-warm liquid. Her pleasure from the alcohol coursing through her veins was cut short by her companion's question. "Do you think she's ready to for this? To be a known person in Konoha?"

Tsunade took in the woman's worried tone and expression and nodded, so as to hide the false confidence. _Ame, I hope you're ready for this. I hope you're ready...for him._


	2. Chapter 2

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 2 - Long Day**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

Kakashi Hatake had a headache. His name was Naruto Uzumaki, and he was starting to take the place of Kakashi's inner voice. _Sakura has a sister?! Not just a sister, but one whose life was in danger?_ So many thoughts ran through his brain, but he could salvage no conclusion to put him at ease. The silver haired man tried to convince himself it was because he was worried about his teammate, but even conscious, he wasn't stupid.

The sight of Sakura crying had done a number on him. _Sure, I've seen girls cry before but how often does one see a pink haired girl cry?_ For a moment, his former student closely resembled the thinner, paler girl from his past. _Ame, where did you go?_ His thoughts were interrupted by a tug on his sleeve.

"There she is, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto sprinted to the side of his pink-haired teammate, crying against one of the posts at their old training field. The three took places around the young kunoichi, still red and sniffling from the new of her loss.

"I-I'm sorry for running, you guys. I'm just-" Sakura struggled to compose herself, but the hysterical sobs kept ebbing and flowing. All she could do was ride the waves of pain until exhaustion took over, like it was finally starting to. "I'm tired of losing people." She tried to take a deep breath while Kakashi took one of her hands and gave it a supportive squeeze.

"Sakura, you still have us."

"Yeah! Kakashi-sensei is right! We're still here!" Naruto gave her another hug, causing a small smile to make its way on to the crying girl's face.

"I know, and I'm grateful. It's just that...I had to live without my sister. I still got to see her and spend time with her, but it's not the same as having her around, teaching me everything and giving me a hard time every waking minute." Her sniffles took over as Sai gave her a nod to continue. "And then Sasuke..." Suddenly, the sobs were back again and Naruto was taking his friend in his arms with Sai rubbing her back, hoping to calm her down. Kakashi sighed in understanding. The loss of Sasuke had taken so much out of his team, but he never imagined it how cruel it was for Sakura.

"Well, at least now you're getting your sister back," Naruto offered when the worst of Sakura's sobbing subsided. "What's she like?"

Kakashi had been wondering the same thing. He knew she was a kunoichi, and a very good one by the sound of it. S-ranked missions were no laughing matter, he knew from firsthand experience. She was older than Sakura, by how much, he wasn't sure. She could be older than him, for all he knew. _Anko was her teammate. She and Ibiki have keys to her house. Maybe I can interrogate them and--_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sakura getting to her feet. She was wiping the last of her tears and taking deep breaths. "I should probably stop by the Yamanaka flower shop and make the arrangements before I start packing."

"Tsunade said you have the next week off, if you want to wait a bit," Kakashi gently informed her as her gave her rose locks a quick ruffle. Sending off a loved one was hard enough, but to say such a permanent goodbye to both parents had to be even more difficult. Already, he could feel the girl's chakra waning.

Before he or her other teammates could say anything, Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "No. It needs to get done. If my sister is on an S-ranked mission that has kept her away as long as it has so far, there's no guarantee that she would make it back in time for our parents' celebration of life." A sad smile escaped her lips as she looked up at her former sensei.

_Assuming she makes it back at all,_ Kakashi couldn't help but consider.

"Besides," Sakura's cut into his thoughts, a playful smirk starting to make its way across her lips. "She's going to have enough to deal with...especially when it comes to meeting you."

With that, she walked away, Naruto following her like a loyal puppy dog, leaving Kakashi and Sai to stew over the logic in those last words. After a while, the older man looked at his younger teammate. "We're not that bad, are we?" His eyebrow was raised and if his interest had not been peaked before, the mystery of the eldest Haruno girl certainly had his full and undivided attention, now.

"Maybe she thinks your reading material will offend her sister," Sai offered as he started to walk back to jounin headquarters. "I'll see you later, Kakashi-san."

Alone and starting to feel the early signs of hunger, Kakashi removed the latest volume of _Icha Icha Paradise_ from his vest and began walking to his apartment. He had just reached the door when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Kakashi, my man! Just in time to join me and Asuma for a drink. Interested?" His senbon-chewing friend, Genma Shiranui, smirked. Kakashi looked past him to see Asuma Sarutobi with one of his trademark cigarettes in his mouth, nodding a quick, casual greeting.

Against his better judgment, Kakashi put the book back in his vest. "Sounds good. It's been a long day and some sake couldn't hurt."

"Good man, good man," Genma gave his shoulder a quick punch as they began making their way to their favourite bar.

"Hey Kakashi, I heard the old lady called you in earlier. What was that all about? Another late mission report?" Asuma grunted to his friend, a sarcastic smile playing around his cigarette and across his lips as Kakashi groaned at the implication.

"No, worse. Sakura Haruno's parents died," The Copy Nin sighed. He took a seat at the far end of the bar and ordered some sake, while Asuma let out a soft, surprised whistle.

"Tsunade gonna adopt her, I take it?" Removing his cigarette and putting it out, Asuma followed suit and took a drink of sake while Kakashi started to answer.

"No-"

"-Seriously? I thought for sure she'd want to keep an eye on Sakura. I mean, the girl _is_ developing quite nicely. Very well rou--" Genma stopped when he noticed the raised eyebrow and stern glare from his two drinking buddies, telling him he better think _very carefully_ about finishing that last sentence.

"Tsunade has, apparently, made other arrangements...with Sakura's older sister." If the words felt awkward coming out of Kakashi's mouth, they felt even weirder on the receiving end.

Asuma looked up in shock, his fresh, unlit cigarette dropping out of his mouth and landing on the wood of the bar. "Wait a second. What sister? I've had Ino on my team for years, and she and Sakura grew up together. She's never mentioned anything about-"

"-Considering the mouth on that girl, Asuma, she probably didn't even know," Genma thought aloud, the senbon drooping at bit as he stared hard at the wood beneath his hands.

"That, or she's more loyal to the Leaf than anyone gives her credit for."

The last comment made Kakashi look up at his brown-haired friend whose eyes were still fixated on the bar. _He knows something,_ Kakashi immediately began to review what he knew until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey boys, what are we drinking to, today?" His dark eye met the brown ones of one, Anko Mitarashi, who looked exhausted, to say the least. Her dark hair was mostly out of its usual ponytail, and her hitai-ate had made its way around her neck instead of the spot on her forehead where she wore it on missions and around the village. She surrendered a groan as she took her seat.

"Rough day, Anko?" Asuma asked after a quick nod of greeting.

She turned to look at him, running a hand through her hair before letting it drop hard to the bar. "Man, you don't know the half of it. Ibiki and I have been making all sorts of preparations for next round of chunin exams, interrogation exercises, the whole nine yards. The Hokage needed a favour from me, and then that blond retard of yours, Kakashi, had the gall to ask me questions that I don't yet have permission to answer..." Anko's frustrated sigh was followed by a growl and another sigh. She took a long swig of her whiskey, ignoring the men who were now looking at her with unspoken questions on their faces. "Oh, and Genma, we need to talk, sooner rather than later."

Kakashi's gaze fell upon the man in question, who put some money on the bar and got up. His chocolate brown eyes were serious and Kakashi had a gut feeling this little "talk" would have everything to do with the mystery woman he had yet to learn anything significant about. "Well, sweetheart, how about we just get this over with," Genma nodded to the door while Anko finished off the rest of her drink.

"Do I detect a lovers' quarrel?" Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. He was fishing, he knew they would recognize it, but better to be blunt with the people he trusted. Odds were, he'd find out anyway.

Anko snorted. "Genma couldn't get another fuck out of me if he got on his knees and begged," Her dark eyes rolled, betraying nothing but irritation at her friend's antics.

"I thought you liked it when I begged?" Genma let the tip of the senbon graze the woman's throat before pouting seductively. Asuma just snickered, knowing what was coming as the dark haired woman reached back enough to elbow the man standing behind her in the gut. Almost swallowing the thin sliver of metal in his mouth, Genma rubbed his stomach before feeling the hard wall behind him and a threatening knee to his groin.

"First off," Anko snarled, anger radiating from her body. "This is business. Second," She was smirking, now, her dark eyes locking on his. "That was a long time ago."

Asuma was chuckling deeply now while Kakashi couldn't help but feel a little badly for his brown-haired friend who was smoothing out the wrinkles in his green jounin vest and feigning disappointment at the woman's words. Anko stopped to meet the eye of the Copy Nin. "Kakashi, I'll meet you and your team at the Haruno compound at nine A.M. tomorrow. Your little girly girl will be staying with the Yamanaka family until we hear something from the elder Haruno or she actually gets her ass back in one piece." Before Kakashi could say anything, Anko grabbed Genma's ear and dragged him out so they could talk business.

Several men who had watched the exchange let out low whistles or jests at the expense of the senbon-chewing ninja whose whimpering could still be heard from inside the noisy bar. Asuma just shook his head and slapped Kakashi on the back. "You know, I never quite understood why you two hooked up with her those times."

Kakashi went back to his sake, taking a final gulp. He set some money down before getting up to leave while his friend raised a concerned eyebrow. "Because, back then, Anko was good at helping people forget...even if she, herself, couldn't." Asuma winced at everything implied but unsaid. Anko still hadn't recovered from whatever Orochimaru did to her in all those years she trained under him. Everyone suspected those memories had a hand in her wild ways, but no one said a word. "I'll see you later, Asuma. Give my best to Kurenai." Kakashi walked through the door, not bothering to pull out his trusty book. There was no point, not after today.


	3. Chapter 3

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 3 - Secret**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

Genma Shiranui had the distinct feeling he was in deep shit the moment she walked into the bar. Even before he sensed her chakra, he knew it. In fact, when his silver haired friend mentioned the existence of a certain woman...

"She's coming back." Anko had stopped walking. Her eyes were on the ground, her expression full of guilt, worry, Genma couldn't name them all. He could only speculate, given the topic of discussion.

"Kakashi mentioned it." Before she could say anything, Genma cut her off. "I kept my mouth shut."

"They have a history, you know." Anko's mouth curved up into a half-smile, remembering her friend's confession of first love.

Genma sighed. "I know. I'm not stupid, you know." His mind slipped into his own memories. _Pink hair falling around his face, covering the both of them, while he confidently ran his tongue against her bottom lip..._ "He'd kick my ass if he knew," A smirk playing across mouth. "Granted, it wasn't exactly my idea."

"So you were only doing it for Konoha?" Anko teased. The remark earned her a genuinely insulted glare from her friend.

"No more than you and Kakashi breaking each other in." It was a low blow and he knew it. He knew it and he waited for the punch in the gut, the snake bite to the neck, anything and everything the woman before him was capable of punishing him with.

It never came, and his brown eyes searched her darker ones for an explanation. "Small potatoes compared to what she's done for the village." With that, she began to walk away.

"Anko, wait!" Genma caught up to her. "If he asks, how much do I-"

"Tsunade, Jiraiya and Ibiki are planning to have a word with him once they hear her status." She cut in, sensing his concern. "But if that doesn't happen before I let them in her house, he'll put two and two together a lot sooner."

"Want me to come over and help Sakura move?" He figured it wouldn't be necessary since the teenage girl already had her teammates helping her out. Still, he offered. He couldn't see Anko having an easy time dealing with Kakashi's questions.

"Eh, whatever. Part of me can't see her having that much, but then again, she's a lot more prissy than her sister," Anko replied thoughtfully, getting a chuckle out of the senbon-chewing man. "Be there around nine if you're coming." She gave a quick wave, leaving him behind. Genma groaned, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably. He looked back at the house they stopped in front of. _Her house._ Genma growled in frustration. _Shit, if I linger any longer, he'll probably find me, figure out I know something and get all pissy about it. _ Falling into a steady jog, Genma headed home before any more trouble could find him.

Kakashi got to his apartment before starting the next chapter. After removing his jounin vest and sweatshirt, he sat on the couch with a heavy sigh. Since that first day of meeting Team Seven, Kakashi had a hard time when it came to Sakura. Maybe if she hadn't had pink hair and cried so much, he would have paid more attention to her instead of Sasuke and Naruto. Maybe if she hadn't reminded him so much of his first love, he could have been more normal around her. Since Sasuke ran away, he had spent more time with her, but he had always kept it one-sided. It wasn't that he was attracted to her; it was the fact that she always did something to awaken the painful memories he tried so hard to repress. Even the way she bit her lip made him think of the girl who left him...

_**Fifteen years ago...**_

"_Ame, what's wrong?"_

_"I-I-I have to go away, Kakashi-kun."_

_"Where?"_

_"I-I can't tell you."_

_"Ame-chan... How long? How long will you be gone?" _

_"I-I don't know."_

_He reached for her hand, pulling her closer to him. He wiped the tears, mixing with rain, letting his hand linger on her skin as her hazel eyes became green. He never understood why her eyes changed like they did, but for as much as he knew and loved her, there was a lot he still didn't know..._

_Her cheeks began to blush and a flood of confidence suddenly came over the silver haired teenager. Cupping her face ever so gently, he closed the gap, grazing his lips with hers. _

_The initial shock of his action caused a jolt in his knees that slowly worked its way through his body. Feeling her body tremble just slightly, he leaned her back into the tree they always met at. He couldn't remember when she moved her hand from his, but it was in his hair now. Her other hand was teasing his neck, causing a foreign, but very nice, feeling. His abdomen felt warm and, though he couldn't explain it then, something in him decided that running his tongue against her lip would be a good idea._

_He had never kissed anyone before. Truth be told, he had never wanted to. Rin had tried to corner him a few times, but he never allowed her more than a hug, much to her disappointment. It wouldn't have been fair to give her something like that when his feelings were all for someone else...someone who was, now, opening her mouth and letting him in. His arm wrapped around her hip. He was afraid to let go. _

_Needing air, he pulled away, slowly but gently. As he opened his eyes, he looked at the girl before him in amazement. The rain dripped down her pale face, making him slightly jealous at the contact. Her eyes were still closed and she was smiling. She sighed, content. _

_When she opened her eyes again, they had a slight blue to them. He planted another kiss on her nose. "Whatever it takes, Ame."_

_She looked at him, squinting in confusion. "Kakashi, what are you-"_

"_I'll find you, whatever it takes."_

"_But-"_

"_I love you, Ame."_

_The words were out before he could consider her reaction. He watched her eyes widen. He listened as she gasped. He listened to the rain. Something was thumping loudly and while he wanted to believe it was just water hitting the leaves above them, he knew better..._

"_I love you, too, Kakashi." _

_She was smiling again. She was smiling at _him_. He held her close until she sighed and started to push him away gently. "I have to go, now."_

_He kissed her hand, holding it as long as he could. "I'll find you, Ame."_

_Her back was turned. She was walking away, the rain coming down harder, running down her dress in small waterfalls. His heart kept beating loudly in his chest, but he was certain he could still hear her. "I know you will, Kakashi. I know you will."_

Kakashi groaned in annoyance as the pounding continued. Realizing it was no longer from his flashback, he stretched and yawned. Catching a glimpse at the clock, he rolled his eyes. It was five in the morning and someone was still pounding on his door. _The are either very, very desperate or very, very stupid,_ he thought to himself. He opened the door only after making sure his mask still covered the lower half of his face.

A white animal mask stared back at him.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Kakashi leaned against the door jamb, crossing his arms and expecting an answer he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like.

"I have orders to escort you to the office of the Lady Hokage, Kakashi Hatake." The ANBU shinobi answered, as expected, without any show of emotion.

"It's not even dawn-"

"She wants you in her office, now."

Sighing in defeat, Kakashi threw on the shirt from the previous day and zipped his vest up, over it. As he followed the ANBU messenger to their destination, Kakashi couldn't help but snort in annoyance.

_This just keeps getting better and better..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 4 - Intervention**

_Author's Note - So, thanks to everyone who has been reading this. Also, thanks for the alert, XXMansonXXFanXX. I hope you continue to enjoy this story. As always, read, review, enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

"He's going to hate us." Her golden eyes moved towards the older man with long, wild white hair.

The man with the scarred face sitting to the right of him rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should have brought a copy of the latest Icha Icha novel? I bet that would calm his ass down."

It was Tsunade's turn to roll her eyes before focusing on the glass of sake in her hand. She knew he had been reluctant to join this little intervention, but he also knew the ramifications of Ame Haruno bumping into Kakashi Hatake on the streets of Konoha without any sort of warning or explanation.

_Better the idiot know what he's dealing with than have him fuck up the last fifteen or twenty years,_ thought Ibiki Morino. He shot a look at the man next to him and wondered how the hell he could be so calm.

With Tsunade and Ibiki on edge, Jiraiya felt it was his duty to balance out the room with his calm chakra signature. He had no doubt, his former pupil would arrive in a less than pleasant mood. The worst part was having to explain to aforementioned former-pupil that the reason his childhood sweetheart was taken away from him was for the good of the village.

The girl had not been a threat, but a temptation. If word had slipped out about her unique kekkei genkai...

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" The silver-haired man looked around the room and nodded his respects to his former sensei and the gruff man with the scarred face whom he had worked with many times before.

"Please, have a seat, Kakashi," Tsunade gestured to the empty chair in front of her desk.

Kakashi collapsed into the chair. "It's too early," He sighed, more asleep than awake.

"Given the news I have, you might perhaps change your mind about that," Tsunade muttered as she watched one of his silver eyebrows rise in curiosity and anticipation. "Before I say anything, I need to make it clear that nothing leaves this room. What I am about to tell you is top secret. It goes well beyond S-rank, got it?" Kakashi nodded, waiting for her to continue.

_Here it goes,_ Tsunade braced herself, finishing off the last of the sake in her glass. "As you already know, Sakura Haruno is to move in with her older sister until she is of age. As you also know, the identity of the eldest Haruno girl has remained a secret to nearly the entire village."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Get to the point, Tsunade-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Tsunade's perfectly manicured hand held a picture in front of his face. "Does this woman look familiar to you?"

Kakashi squinted his dark, uncovered eye to focus on the image before him. It was a woman. She was young, by the looks of it. Thin arms, thin face, lean muscle that gave her a more graceful silhouette. Her hair was pink, her bangs a little long and falling in her face. Her eyes were an odd colour, not quite green, but almost a mixture of colours. There was something familiar about her face, though Kakashi couldn't put his finger on it. He noticed the swirling tattoo on her left bicep. ANBU. Her glossy lips shined in what could only be described as a smirk, and a cocky one, at that. Kakashi looked at the other men sitting in the room before returning his attention to Tsunade and shaking his head. "No."

Tsunade sighed with an ounce of relief. She knew that showing him the second picture was going to change everything, but she held it up anyway. "What about her?"

Again, Kakashi looked at the picture in her hand, only to narrow his eye and grab it from her fingers. "It can't be..." His breath caught in his throat. His eye was widened in what Tsunade could only observe as shock. "Ame. W-where the hell did you get this?" Kakashi looked from Tsunade to the other two men in the room. "What the fuck is this? Where is she?" His voice spat out, demanding answers. He was on his feet, leaning forward on her desk. "What are you playing at?"

Tsunade smirked. "So, you do know her." She took the photo from Kakashi and held the first one next to it. "Look at that first photo again."

Kakashi did as he was told, only to widen his eye in shock again. His mouth went dry. "It-it can't be..."

"It's true." Jiraiya stood up and intervened, putting his hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

Still in disbelief, Kakashi turned back to Tsunade. "So Ame is Sakura's sister..." He found his chair, the gravity of the realization forcing him to sit down.

"Yes."

The room was silent before Kakashi spoke up again. "When she left..."

"She was joining ANBU," Ibiki spoke up, not looking up. "She was my student, again. I had just gotten her back from Tsunade, who honed her medic skills." Kakashi stared at the man, his eye narrowed in disbelief. "Ame was my best interrogator, though she sometimes had a bit of a sadistic streak. I figured ANBU might get it out of her."

Before anyone else could say anything, Tsunade spoke up. "Kakashi, it was as hard for her as it was for you." She got up and sighed, settling on her desk in front of him. "Like you, Ame was a prodigy. She made genin the year after you, making her the second youngest ever. Ibiki was assigned as her sensei, partly to assess her mental development."

The silver haired man sighed and looked from his hands to Tsunade. "And when we met?"

"She was a jounin. How you managed not to run into each other before you did is beyond me. When you met her, she was in the middle of her apprenticeship to me, expanding her medical knowledge. Later on that year, she returned to Ibiki's team and began working with Anko, mostly."

"What about after she left? Why didn't I run into her, again?"

"Because," Jiraiya cut in, "she came to study with me."

Kakashi grabbed his head in frustration. "She was already ANBU, for Kami's sake! What more did she need to learn?" Then, remembering his former sensei's reputation, Kakashi's face became a dark glare. "Unless..."

"While I admit, I may have stolen a peek or two, I had no hand in deflowering that girl." Sensing where the man's train of thought was getting at, Jiraiya nipped it in the bud. "Besides, she was already a bit of a pervert when she came to me," he muttered under his breath, earning him an amused smirk from Kakashi. "She had been in ANBU for two years. You were joining, and when you failed to recognize her in your entrance exams and sparring exercises, Ibiki suggested she work on some new jutsu. The Hokage, Tsunade and Ibiki agreed that I might be a good choice and so she stayed with me for a year or two, making the occasional visit for a short S-ranked or ANBU mission, or to see her baby sister."

Kakashi slumped in his chair. _I failed to recognize her when I was joining ANBU? She was part of the reason I trained so hard for it, and she was right there, under my nose the entire time..._

"Kakashi, don't beat yourself up." Tsunade got up from the desk to kneel in front of him, squeezing his hand. "We all know you cared about her deeply-"

"-Why was hiding her necessary?" Kakashi met her golden eyes, his questions surfacing now that answers were there for the taking.

Jiraiya sighed and took a quick gulp of sake. Ibiki looked at Tsunade, who nodded. "You're familiar with kekkei genkai, correct, Hatake?" Ibiki's gaze fell on Kakashi, observing his gestures for an answer.

"Yes."

"What if I were to tell you about a case where someone managed to carry that of not just one, but both parents'?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, shook his head and chuckled. He ran a hand through his messy silver hair and sighed. "I think Tsunade would agree with me that such a thing would be completely impossible." He looked up at Tsunade, waiting for her to nod in agreement.

Jiraiya coughed uncomfortably. Ibiki glared at Kakashi with nothing but seriousness. Tsunade, however, did not show any indication of agreeing with him. Instead, she got up and grabbed the bottle of sake and poured a generous amount in her glass before taking a great big drink. Kakashi's head turned from the inebriated woman to the man in the big black trench coat and back again.

"Normally, Kakashi, you would be right," Tsunade started. "In terms of genetics, such a thing _should_, by all means, be impossible."

Kakashi's jaw slackened beneath his mask. "_Should?_"

Tsunade sighed, rubbing at her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on. "In the case of Ame, no one has been able to explain what happened. Sakura has showed no similar symptoms, making Ame an isolated case. In the wrong hands, however,..."

"Ame could be a dangerous weapon," Kakashi finished her thought.

"All it would take is a strong possession jutsu," Ibiki warned.

_It all makes sense, now,_ Kakashi started putting the pieces together. He was interrupted by the blond who was finishing her drink and sinking back into her chair.

"There's more. This is also classified," Her face was unusually serious, now, and Kakashi didn't like it. Bells and whistles were going off and he could only hope that whatever she was going to say wasn't going to be some life altering announcement.

"She's been on an S-ranked mission for the last few months." Tsunade took a deep breath. _He's not going to like this one bit._ "I assigned her to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha."

A dark eye looked up at her and she knew she had Kakashi's undivided attention. _This is about to get worse..._ "She's saving Sasuke? But what about Orochimaru? What about Itachi-"

"-Itachi is not a concern," Ibiki cut in. The man in black stiffened to his feet and crossed his arms in a defensive pose.

"What the hell do you mean '_he's not a concern?!'_ The man tried to kill me, his brother, my team, not to mention he polished off his entire family without blinking an ey-"

"-It wasn't him." The words were out before Tsunade could stop Ibiki, who was now glaring with rage.

"Kakashi, Ame was also on an ANBU mission to meet with one of our ninja who infiltrated the Akatsuki." She waited for him to explode. It didn't take long.

"She WHAT?!"

"She'll be returning with the informant and his brother in the next day or two-"

"-_The informant and his brother?_" Kakashi spat.

"The informant is Itachi." _There,_ Tsunade thought. _It's all out in the open._ Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, who nodded in approval. It had gone much like he and Ibiki told her it would. She looked at Kakashi, who was sitting down, head in his hands like he had a bad hangover. After a deep breath, he sat up and looked her straight in the eye.

"Okay, then. If Itachi didn't kill off his clan or do all the things we were led to believe, then who did?" Kakashi kept his voice calm. He was drowning in it, the feelings, the politics, everything. They were dropping a thousand bricks, maybe even a whole town on him, at this point.

Ibiki sighed. "That needs to remain classified for now. Once Itachi and Ame return, or we have something else to go on, we can move forward. Odds are, we'll need you in the loop."

Kakashi ran his hands over his face. He felt completely exhausted, now. His gaze rose to the desk where the pictures lay. Pink hair and glossy lips smirking. He didn't look up when Tsunade allowed Ibiki to leave. He just kept thinking. _She's got to be around thirty, now. ANBU? Interrogations? _None of the words seemed to correspond to the girl he knew so long ago. _Then again, _Kakashi silently mused,_ how much did I know about Ame? She never had a bruise on her from sparring- because she probably healed them as well as her little sister does, _he scolded his stupidity. _She liked reading and going for walks. She liked animals and would laugh at Pakkun when he was a pup._ Kakashi went over everything he knew about her and everything he thought he knew about her. He stopped when he realized, _never once did she tell me her last name._

"I know this isn't easy for you." Kakashi's dark eye met Tsunade's again. Her face was sympathetic and he suddenly felt like an ass for yelling and being so greedy for answers.

"I guess it can't be any worse than what she probably will have to go through. Her identity can't exactly stay a secret if she's taking charge of Sakura, now," he replied. The fatigue was becoming more evident, now. He could barely hold his head up.

"Jiraiya, please see Kakashi home. I'm sure you, two, could use some time to chat," Tsunade ushered the two men towards the door.

"So, tomorrow, then?" Kakashi looked back at her, just to be sure.

The blond nodded. "Yes, most likely. Ibiki and I will keep Sasuke in custody for a while. He is, apparently, still in denial of his brother's innocence. He also thought Ame was Sakura," Kakashi snorted as Tsunade mentioned his former student's failure to identify his teammate. "He tried to run off with her, thinking he was saving her from Itachi when she managed to pin him down long enough to give him a sedative." Kakashi winced and she couldn't help but smile. "Get some rest, Kakashi. You have all week to hear her stories." Tsunade's smile grew wider as his eye brow crinkled, indicating his own hidden grin.

"Thank you, Tsunade." With that, he left, Jiraiya patting him on the back and giving the blond a quick thumbs up before walking out the door.

"We'll talk later," He mouthed, giving a quick wink before the door was closed.

With everything taken care of, Tsunade collapsed in her chair. The alcohol was kicking in and she hadn't slept at all. _Now, we play the waiting game._


	5. Chapter 5

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 5 - Moving Day**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

Jiraiya watched Kakashi drag himself up the stairs to his apartment. It was around seven in the morning, the sun just struggling to rise from the clouds and over the trees. If he were in the company of a certain blond,...

"What is she like?"

Jiraiya shook himself from the dirty thoughts about Tsunade to see Kakashi pause in front of his door. His gaze met the floor, while his hand seemed to grip the doorknob for balance. "Well," The older man began, with just a hint of a smile. "She definitely has more sass than her sister." Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle as he sifted through his moments with the pink haired kunoichi. "When she first came to me, it was apparent that, while she had unusual physical stamina, she still struggled to _fully_ control her chakra." Kakashi turned to face Jiraiya, who looked straight ahead, not making contact as he recalled the encounter. "Her eyes were green, like father and sister. When I insisted she show me what she could do, they changed colour."

Kakashi sighed, remembering the various hues. "What was the cause of it? She never told me."

Jiraiya was still thoughtful, still staring into space. "It was a culmination of her chakra and kekkei genkai."

"Huh."

"Since Ibiki trained her extremely well in tai jutsu and Tsunade more than covered the medical jutsu, I thought it best to focus on her chakra control--more specifically, her precision," Jiraiya continued. "She was a fast learner, very determined. I even taught her the Rasengan," His lips turned upward into a smile from the memory. "From there, we worked on her kekkei genkai, though one of them still required some assistance from Tsunade, given its medical nature."

"What are these kekkei genkai she possess?" Kakashi looked at the older man, seriousness in his voice.

He blinked a few times before putting his hand on the shoulder of his former pupil. "Now's not the time for this. I believe you have some preparations to assist with."

Kakashi unlocked his door and opened it with a groan as he remembered agreeing to help Sakura move her belongings into her sister's house. "Jiraiya-sensei?"

The older man grunted at being called _teacher_ again, after all these years. "Don't make me feel so old, Kakashi."

The Copy Nin let out a soft chuckle, pushing his door open and walking in. He turned around and stopped. "Thanks." Closing the door and locking it, Kakashi kicked off his sandals, pulled off his shirt and fell into bed.

Jiraiya stood facing the door for a few moments before a smile came over him.

_**Somewhere outside Konohagakure...**_

"Come on, I want to get there before the sedative wears off!" The woman yelled to her companion. She shifted her load, a young man, to her other shoulder. _Idiot,_ she thought. _You're going to return to Konoha, and you're gonna like it, little shit!_ Through her white and red mask, she glared back, behind her. "You know, you should really be the one carrying your brother!"

Itachi Uchiha tried to catch up to the kunoichi, panting. "Do you really want to give him the chance to slit my throat, Cat?"

She rolled her hazel green eyes, hefting her load a little higher. Her chakra was fading; the fight, followed by the youngest Uchiha's freak-out session, had taken a toll on her. She had done plenty of physical endurance training without the aide of chakra to compensate for her chakra control, but the young man was getting heavy. Truth be told, Ame just didn't want to risk losing Itachi and the information he carried.

"We're going to need to stop in a bit. You need to get your gear on." Before he could question her, she turned her head, peering at him through the mask. "You wouldn't want the guards to kill you on-sight."

"In that case," Itachi fell to the ground, landing in a crouched stance before opening his pack. Cat followed suit, walking back to him. She slid the young man from her shoulder, allowing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground before seeking out any foreign chakra signatures. Once satisfied, she turned her cat mask to the side, revealing a tired, red face beaded with sweat.

Itachi pulled on the fitted black sleeveless top and white vest. "You know this will only hasten a reaction from them, Ame. Konoha will be in more danger with him there than-"

"-I'm not stupid, Itachi. I know the ramifications of this mission," Ame sighed. She turned to nudge the unconscious boy on the ground. "You know, I still don't know what she used to see in him."

"Hmm?"

"My little sister had a ridiculous crush on your baby brother until the day he left," Ame smirked at the dark haired man, who was smoothing his hair down to put on his mask. "I should kick his ass for the agony he put her through."

Itachi couldn't help but snort and surrender a light chuckle. "Your sister is too sweet for that asshole."

"Sensei's going to have a field day with him." She used her boot to lift a limp hand before allowing it to hit the ground with a thud.

"You mean you're not going to play therapist?" Itachi feigned disappointment, dropping the act when she regarded him with a raised pink eyebrow of disapproval.

"No. Probably for the best. I'll be too busy dealing with people knowing that I am Sakura's big sister." She winced at the meaning of her words as Itachi tsk-tsk'd. He understood her anxieties regarding the arrangement. For the sake of the mission, his presence in Konoha would go unnoticed, save for those who really needed to know. Ame, however, was now doomed. The Haruno name would now be tied to her identity, something she had managed to avoid. Sure, it wouldn't have been hard to hypothesize her connections to the Haruno family, with so many people knowing Sakura, but she had always managed to play off the pink hair as an experiment gone awry. Ame always had an explanation as to why she wasn't a Haruno...

Itachi finished packing up his clothes and pulled the mask over his face. "Ready when you are."

Ame rolled her eyes, pulling the young man back over her shoulder. "Alright, Sasuke, let's get you home." Their masks on, they resumed their pace. _Let's just get this over with..._

_**Back in Konohagakure...**_

Kakashi Hatake grunted his frustration as a persistent knocking made its way to his ears. _Ugh, I just can't win, can I?_ He dragged himself from the comfort of his bed to the door, opening it to find a very impatient Anko Mitarashi glaring at him. "What?" He yawned, opening the door wider to let her in.

"Your ass should have been at Sakura's half an hour ago." Her dark eyes followed him, as he pulled on a long sleeve shirt and his vest.

"Yeah, I just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night."

This answer caught the woman's interest. "Oh? Did I just miss your latest conquest or should I have stopped by a little sooner?"

She was joking, Kakashi knew it and searched his brain for some witty comeback only to come up short. "Ame should be here in the next day or two."

Anko took a deep but hesitant breath. "So, you know, then?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

"Hn."

Anko sighed, smacking Kakashi on the back as he pulled on his sandals. "Might as well get this over with. We don't want to piss her off with something _more_ to do." Kakashi nodded in agreement and locked the door behind them as they walked to the Haruno compound.

After walking in silence, they arrived to find Naruto throwing sheets over furniture. Seeing Kakashi, the blond grinned wide before leaping to hug his former sensei. "Kakashi-sensei! You're late!"

As if on cue, Kakashi put a finger to his covered chin. "Well, you see, there was this old man who-" He started, thoughtfully, before being cut off.

"-Oh, cut the crap!"

"Where's Sakura?" Anko asked. She had plans with Kurenai and didn't want this to take all day.

"Tenten is helping her pack clothes. Hinata is packing up the remaining food. Are we going to have to move her bed? I don't wanna have to lug that thing across Konoha-"

"Ame's already got a guest room with a bed. I would just have Sakura bring the clothes, food and gear. I'm sure her sister will do whatever to make sure it feels like home," Anko directed.

"Is she in an apartment?"Kakashi asked.

Anko couldn't help the snort she let out. "Nah. She's got a small house. She always kept a room for Sakura when she felt like visiting."

"Huh." _She probably saved up for it easily, with all the high ranked missions it sounds like she goes on._ His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. He turned to meet the smirk of chocolate brown hair and eyes, and a senbon twirling between two lips.

"Did I miss the box with the lingerie?" Genma feigned disappointment before ducking Anko's fist.

"I think the girls have that covered, Genma," Kakashi chuckled. He turned to see Sakura, struggling to carry a box with two bags on each arm.

"Geez, Forehead! That's all you're taking for clothes?!" The blond haired girl shouted, a sheet in hand as she tried to cover the tall bookshelf.

Kakashi felt Genma move. "Allow me, sweetheart." The girl blushed when her blue eyes met his smile, causing Kakashi look away before his friend could hear his reaction.

Tenten came out of Sakura's room with a box that contained a pack and ninja gear. Just as Sakura's sandal caught the rug, Kakashi caught the girl, taking the box from her arms. "Books or bricks?" He remarked, looking inside.

The pink haired girl sighed her relief and handed one of the bags of clothes to Anko. "Books. I know my sister has a bunch, already, but I like reading without the distraction of her notes," Sakura grumbled passed Kakashi out the door. After one last look, Sakura smiled sadly and gave Anko a nod.

"Alright, let's move!"

_**In the Hokage Tower...**_

Jiraiya tapped on the door before letting himself in. With Shizune helping out at the hospital in Sakura's absence, he decided to take advantage of the privacy to speak with his favourite blond.

"What? The bath house was empty?" Tsunade smirked from behind her desk. She would be lying if she said she wasn't happy to see him, especially after the meeting earlier.

"Mmm, didn't think to check. But now that you mention it, I am behind in my rese-"

"Oh, have a seat." Her eyes rolled in annoyance, but even Jiraiya knew it was only halfhearted. "Kakashi made it home, I assume?" Her question was met with a grunt and a nod, which she answered with a sigh. "You know, that went better than expected."

The man stretched his neck until it popped to his satisfaction. "You weren't the one being interrogated when he left the office." He watched her eyebrow raise in curiosity. "He asked about her, what she's like and about her kekkei genkai-"

"-And you said?..."

"I didn't tell him about her Kurama mother or the Haruno bloodline traits, if that is what you're asking." He grew quiet, remembering the first encounter he had...

_Thirteen years ago..._

_Jiraiya smirked, admiring the curves the young woman before him was still growing into. She was ANBU, her boots, shin and arm guards, and the telltale tattoo made it clear--even if the short, tight black shorts, little black cami and mesh top didn't. Her green eyes narrowed, as if perceiving thoughts and not liking them one bit._

"_Let's see what you learned from Beauty and the Beast," Jiraiya called out. He ducked just in time to miss a couple of shuriken. Getting to his feet, his arm met with her fist before he could use his left foot to knock her legs out from under her. Just as he was about to deal a blow, his hand was met with tree bark. _Convenient transformation jutsu,_ he thought. He looked up, not seeing her. _She's ANBU, she's trained for this,_ he reminded himself. "Speaking of Beauty, is Tsunade still in her red panty stage?" _

_His answer was a kunai he just narrowly avoided. It was enough to serve his purpose; Jiraiya sent a kunai in her direction, earning him a grunt before pink hair came charging at him. He waited to deflect the blow until he noticed something..._ Her eyes aren't green anymore. What does that mean?_ Brown eyes glared at him, a mask of pain and something else on her face. Before Jiraiya had time to think about it, it was too late..._

_Jiraiya woke up with a splitting headache. There was blood on his head, though he couldn't find the wound, and he was certain he could still feel the sting of broken ribs, a few stab wounds and possible broken ankles. The nightmare had been awful and given the damage he sustained, he knew it was no coincidence. _She used a genjutsu, a very strong one on me.

_He turned to see the young woman unconscious, blood trickling from her mouth. After assessing his ability to move and realizing that his bones were miraculously not broken, he crawled over to the kunoichi, lifting a heavy eyelid. _Blue? Her eyes are blue?_ He picked her up and carried her inside his house. It was obvious what they were going to have to work on..._

Jiraiya ruffled his white hair and looked back at Tsunade. "Do you really think the younger Uchiha will play nice with his teammates?" He remembered the stories Naruto used to tell him about his dark haired friend and former rival.

Tsunade just sighed. "I think Sasuke is the least of our worries."

"The Akatsuki will only try to reclaim Itachi, and you know Orochimaru-"

Tsunade snorted. "The Akatsuki would have to be pretty damned stupid to do something like that." She took a gulp of water, cursing the sake she consumed earlier. "As for Orochimaru,...let's burn that bridge when we get there."

Jiraiya shook his head, but said nothing. After a little while, he couldn't help but grin like a giddy schoolboy. "You know, Ame's open presence is going to raise a lot of hell."

The blond groaned, rubbing her forehead. "You think I don't already know that? I'm the one who taught her to drink, after all..." Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle at her whining.

"Remember when Genma thought it would be a good idea to date her?" The man snickered, recalling how the teenage Genma Shiranui pursued the elder Haruno girl.

Tsunade burst into a fit of giggles. "When all was said and done, the look on his face was _priceless!_"

"Leave it to Ame to put a dent in a man's pride."

"Ohhhh, but he took it well. I mean, he does still carry that damned senbon in his mouth. I'm sure every woman he's bedded in Konoha would thank Ame for her...advice," Tsunade snickered before another wave of laughter took over her.

Jiraiya chuckled a little bit more before growing serious again. "I think Genma and the myriad of other potential suitors are easy compared to the Council. Just because they kept a fairly lax eye on her the last few years doesn't mean they won't try to butt into her life, now."

Tsunade looked at him, catching the implications. "Isn't it a little early to be talking about marriage?"

"You think the council is not already discussing the matter?"

Tsunade frowned. Jiraiya was right. Ideally, the Council would want to merge two powerful clans. Right after Sakura's parents died, they had already started to arrange an early marriage between Sakura and a short list of bachelors that had included Negi Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara and even Kakashi. Infuriated, Tsunade had thrown a desk in the middle of the room and threatened bodily harm to any Council member who dared to mettle in the affairs of her apprentice or her best and most reliable shinobi. "Worst case scenario?" Tsunade asked, the concern evident in her wrinkled forehead.

Jiraiya smirked thoughtfully. "Hmmm, worst case scenario is that Ibiki murders every male in the village and lets Anko be Ame's play thing..." The comment earned him a paperweight to the shoulder.

The blond had no sympathy for his yelp of pain. "I think the porn you write is rotting your brain."

"I only speak the truth. Art imitates life, after all. And I don't exactly hear Ame or Kakashi complaining."

It was Tsunade's turn to smirk. "You don't hear Kakashi complaining because he doesn't know what's coming." _No, no he doesn't_, she thought.

The mischievous look on her face said it all. Jiraiya watched the wheels turns in the blond woman's head. Immediately, he felt sympathy for his former pupil. _I don't know what she has planned, Kakashi, but it can't be good..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 6 - In Pictures**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

Anko Mitarashi unlocked the door and motioned for the moving party to enter. "Kitchen's the first entry way on the right, Sakura's room is the next door down," She shouted, carrying the bag of clothes Sakura's bedroom.

Kakashi was the last to enter, closing the door behind him with his foot. To his left was a small table with a wheel-thrown raku bowl. The bottom of the bowl looked like a mini explosion, maybe a galaxy or something. On both sides were bookshelves with titles he didn't recognize...books on Konoha, clan histories, medical reference books. He turned to the right to peek in the kitchen that had the same wooden floor, nice cabinets, everything matching. On the left, Kakashi saw the living room with more books, an extensive movie collection and framed photos.

Setting the box on the coffee table, Kakashi walked over to the wall for a closer look. _A family portrait...a pink haired girl with green-grey eyes holding a hitai-ate and grinning widely as a man--presumably her father, with those same green eyes as Sakura's--smiled proudly with his hand on her shoulder...Ame, how he remembered her when they first met at thirteen, wearing a sleeveless red dress with the Haruno symbol , arm in arm with a teenage Anko and another shinobi Kakashi didn't know, with Ibiki Morino standing behind them with a very rare hint of a smile...a baby with green eyes and a few pink strands in the arms of Ame around the time they parted ways..._ What bothered him most about that last picture was that she was holding her sister while in ANBU gear, blood smeared on her grinning face and arms.

"My sister had just dragged a teammate to the hospital when she heard Mom was in the maternity ward," A young female voice explained over his shoulder. Kakashi turned to see Sakura, looking at that same picture. "She told me about you, you know."

He wanted to be shocked, but feigned indifference instead. "Oh?"

A knowing smile made its way across his former student's face. "Mmhmm."

"Anything I should be worried about?"

"She wouldn't tell me what you looked like without the mask," Sakura pouted, causing Kakashi to chuckle. "She _did_ tell me how you met."

_**Seventeen years ago...**_

_Kakashi was contemplating homicide. Obito was late, _again_, and he was going to hunt him down and pound him into hamburger meat. _His disregard for the rules, his tardiness,...how does Sensei put up with him?!

_His thoughts were interrupted by something wet landing on the top of his head. It was followed by another one on his covered nose and then another on his hand. Soon, he heard the water drumming lightly on the tree leaves above him. _Great. Now I'm getting soaked because I'm looking for that jerk and it's all his fault, _Kakashi thought with a defeated sigh. Again, a sound interrupted him._

"_Whoaaa! Oof! Mmmph." _

_Kakashi followed the whine, masking his chakra in case it was Obito trying to lure him into a trap. After a few steps, his breath caught in his chest. At the base of a tree about three meters away was a wet mop of pink hair. Kakashi took a couple of more steps to see that it was a girl, her red dress soaked and her hand red. One sniff told Kakashi that she was bleeding._

"_Grrrrr, why couldn't the rain wait a little bit longer?!" The girl growled, hitting the ground with her fist. She stopped when she realized she wasn't alone._

"_Are you okay?" Kakashi approached the girl slowly, so as not to scare her._

_The pink haired mess sighed in frustration. "I was until it started raining." Her gaze moved from his face to her right ankle, which was definitely broken. "I slipped on a wet branch and fell out of the tree," She pouted, scrunching her face in pain as she tried to get up._

"_Wait, wait! I'm not a medic nin, but I can tell you it's definitely-"_

"_-Broken. Yes, I know." She raised a pink eyebrow and studied him for a minute before sighing. "I hate to ask, but-"_

"_-Want a piggyback ride?" Kakashi crouched in front of her, looking back expectantly. His eyebrows crinkled, indicating a full grin that caused her pink eyebrow to go even higher._

"_You don't mind?" She hesitated, looking around for other options._

_Kakashi chuckled. "I don't see a medic team arriving any time soon, and it's pouring. You're already soaked and you'll only catch a cold or worse if I leave you here."_

_Agreeing with his logic, the girl took his hand and pulled herself onto his back. When Kakashi attempted to hook his arms beneath her thighs, he couldn't help but apologize as he blushed. "Um, sorry," He muttered, grateful for the coverage the mask gave him._

"_It's okay," She hooked her arms around him so as not to choke him. "It can't be helped."_

_They moved in silence for a while, unsure of what to say. The rain kept coming down around them and Kakashi could swear it was coming down harder. "So, you're a shinobi, right?" The girl broke the silence._

"_Yeah."_

"_Very heroic."_

"_Not really. We haven't been on any difficult missions yet."_

"_Oh."_

"_What were you doing out by yourself? It's not safe for girls to wander alone, you know." He felt a kick to his left ribs. "What was that for?"_

"_I'm not totally helpless!" She pouted in his ear._

_Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I didn't say you were. You should still be careful, though." He adjusted her weight on his back and sighed. "You still didn't answer my question."_

_He felt another kick to his ribs. "You still didn't apologize."_

"_I'm sorry if I implied you couldn't take care of yourself. Now, will you-"_

"_-I just wanted some time to myself!" She shouted defensively. After a few seconds, she sighed, leaning her head against his. "I am always working or training, I never get any time for myself," She whispered._

"_What about your friends?"_

_Again, he felt and heard her sigh. "I have one, but she...has some problems. I want to help her, which is why I was here."_

"_Getting sick? Ow!" She kicked him in the ribs again._

"_I was reading about memory loss, dobe!"_

"_Sorry, sorry."_

_He felt her foot against his rib again so he braced himself for another kick, only to feel a slight tickle. She was rubbing the area she had previously assaulted. "No, I should be sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you like that. You're only being nice."_

_Kakashi gave her leg a sympathetic squeeze and kept walking. The rain was coming down harder and he found himself thanking Obito for being late. He was about to ask her name when she spotted the hospital entrance. "Oh, good! There it is! Now I can stop being a wet blanket!" They both chuckled at her lame attempt at a joke as he carried her through the doors. _

_A blond woman looked up from her clipboard, a look of horror on her face when she saw the girl's ankle. "What happened?"_

_Before Kakashi could answer, the girl waved a quick greeting and frowned. "I was reading in a tree when it started to rain. I tried to run for cover, but slipped and landed on my ankle and my butt." Her gaze moved to the floor as her cheeks began to flush in embarrassment. "If this shinobi hadn't been walking in the woods at the same time, I would still be stuck there, getting sick."_

_The blond woman smirked, her golden eyes moving from Kakashi to the pink haired girl. "I see. Well, I'm sure it's been quite the walk. Why don't you set her down in that wheelchair over there so you can be on your way. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your sensei." She turned around to grab a fresh clipboard._

_Kakashi walked over to the wheelchair and stood in front of it. After letting her down gently, he cleared his throat and turned around to face her. "Well, I hope you feel better soon."_

_Just as he started to move away, the girl reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Wait! Tell me your name, Shinobi." She was smirking, her head leaning to the side in curious anticipation. "If I can't see your face, at least tell me your name."_

"_Kakashi. Kakashi Hatake." At first, he was afraid he had stuttered, but if he did, she didn't seem to notice. It was then he got a clear look at her. She was thin, her pink hair still wet and falling past her shoulders. Her eyes were an off-green, he couldn't really describe the hue if he wanted to. Her arms and legs seemed almost scrawny, but he could see very lean muscle beneath her pale skin. She was, in a word, pretty. The realization of this sent a warm blush over his face; the last few minutes in the rain wasn't enough. "Yours?" He tried to guess what she would say...Hana...Rose...maybe-_

"_Ame, oddly enough," She smirked again, nodding to the rain pouring outside the window. _

_Kakashi thought quietly to himself for a second, looking from the rain, back to the girl. After a while, he smiled. "It suits you." He watched her smirk turn into a grin. "Feel better, Ame. I hope I see you again." Once he got through the doors and back into the pouring rain, he bumped into a dark haired boy._

"_Where have you been, Kakashi? Sensei sent me to find you because he canceled training today," Obito Uchiha said, excitedly._

"_I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks for being late, Obito." Kakashi kept walking, leaving his teammate very confused. If Obito had looked any closer, he would have seen a smile..._

Kakashi sighed, his gaze returning to the box of books. "Let's get those in your room, Sakura." The girl nodded and led the way, Kakashi following behind with the heavy container.

Once her belongings were unpacked, Sakura started to thank everyone for the help until Anko cut in. "Wait a minute. Are you gonna be alright? I seriously doubt she'll get in before tomorrow-"

"-I'll be fine," Sakura answered, her voice soft. "But, if you'd like to keep me company, you're more than welcome."

With that, Anko handed the girl an extra key and waved her farewell. After a few minutes, the only ones left in the house were Sakura, Ino and Kakashi. "Go take a bath, Forehead. I'll make us some dinner," The blond led her friend to the bathroom.

"Need some help, Ino?" Kakashi offered, secretly hoping she'd say no.

Ino scrunched her nose. "Nah, I got it covered."

With Sakura in the bathroom and Ino in the kitchen, Kakashi decided to have a look around. He had already studied most of the shelves in the living room, so he moved down the hall. He stopped at a picture of a pink haired young woman sticking out her tongue and scrunching her face while using two fingers to give bunny ears to a man with long white hair and a similar expression. Kakashi squinted until he realized it was Jiraiya with her in the picture. The next dark wooden frame housed an image of Ame, probably a year or two after he last saw her, standing behind a teenage Genma Shiranui. Half her face was buried in his chocolate brown hair, while his face was flushed to a hue not unlike Ame's hair.

Trying to avoid the pang of jealousy, Kakashi turned to find himself facing her dark wooden bedroom door. After looking both ways to see if either teenage girl was going to stop him--not that they'd have any reason to--he turned the knob to see light green walls and a dark green woven mat to protect the wooden floor in the center of the room. Her closet was open. Kakashi could see a few dresses hanging, some shoes with heels, sandals, boots. An odd-shaped box caught his eye. At first, it appeared to be for weapons but a further, more thorough inspection proved it to be nothing more dangerous than a guitar. Above that was a shelf with kunai, senbon and a myriad of other less conspicuous weapons. Next to her boots, he counted three katana and a couple of boken, all of which looked heavily used.

Kakashi walked into the bed, which was low and firm, with a dark wooden frame. It was unmade, the cream and light green quilt and dark red flannel sheets turned down and a black camisole and dark green boxer shorts throw carelessly in the middle of the mess. Before his thoughts made it to the gutter, he lifted his head to see more dark wooden bookshelves. His exposed eye widened as he immediately recognized the orange and green novels on the first two shelves. _Well, she _was _a student of Jiraiya's,_ Kakashi thought. _It's pretty much a given that anyone who studies under him instantly becomes a fan of his literature._

When he got to her dark wooden desk, he was thankful for his mask because his jaw dropped and he was certain that his face was bright red. On it was none other than a mess of papers covered in lewd sketches and black scribbles he recognized as Jiraiya's. Each page was marked with inks of different colours, pink or green mostly, indicating spelling errors or suggestions. _What the hell is she doing with Jiraiya's rough draft?!_

"You know, you probably shouldn't be in here." Kakashi turned to face a wet-haired Sakura in a black sweatpants, a blue t-shirt and a raised pink eyebrow. "And I doubt you would want to spoil a yet-to-be-published volume of Icha Icha Violence."

Before Kakashi could respond, he heard Ino shouting from the kitchen about dinner being ready. With an innocent crinkle of his exposed eyebrow, Kakashi nodded to his former student, leading her out of the master bedroom. Before closing the door behind him, Kakashi looked back and sighed. After everything he had seen and heard, he no longer knew what to think.


	7. Chapter 7

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 7 - Of Sandalwood and Mint**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

For once, the great Copy Nin of Konoha was at a loss. After eating miso ramen with Sakura and Ino, they looked through a photo album of the Haruno girls' before Kakashi insisted on calling it a night. Images still ran through his head. _Ame with her arms around Genma... Ame with her parents after becoming a chunin... Ame holding baby Sakura... Ame making faces with Jiraiya... Ame laughing while getting a kiss from Anko... Ame, Anko, their former teammate Tetsuya and a near-smiling Ibiki... _

They had never taken pictures together. Kakashi tried to remember why, but couldn't. He tried to pinpoint his exact emotions during the course of the day, from Tsunade's office to Sakura's reminiscing, but everything was a blur. Mentally, he was exhausted. Physically, he was bordering on mania.

Between getting Sakura situated and trying to think about his eventual reunion with his first girlfriend, Kakashi hadn't even contemplated the ramifications of Sasuke's return--or Itachi, for that matter. Sasuke, at least, had been his former student; so there was some common ground to start from. When the young Uchiha left Konoha and Team Seven to pursue power and blind revenge under the tutelage of Orochimaru, Kakashi had been more worried than upset. It was no secret that he had enjoyed teaching Sasuke, the _chidori_ was proof of that. He had fond memories of the young, dark haired shinobi giving Naruto a hard time and make Sakura all googly-eyed. In many ways, the boy had reminded Kakashi of himself.

In the case of Itachi, Kakashi had only ever known him in the capacity of an enemy. It made sense for the Hokage to put Itachi in such a sensitive but deadly situation, with him being a prodigy not unlike Kakashi, himself. Still, he wasn't entirely certain that he would be able to play nice once the older Uchiha returned to Konoha.

Kakashi undressed, pulling out his trusty volume of _Icha Icha Paradise_. After reading the same scene four times, he turned off the light and sighed. He was too tired to think anymore.

Two ANBU approached the Gate of Konohagakure, one of them carrying someone over their shoulder. They stopped before nodding their acknowledgments to Izumo and Kotetsu and entering the village. "Where to first, Cat?" Itachi Uchiha mumbled through his white otter mask.

"The Hokage Tower, of course." The cat's tone was matter of fact, with just a touch of sarcasm. "I'm sure she'll want to give the golden boy a good look over before handing him off to Ibiki."

"Hmm. After that?" He was exhausted and still without living arrangements in Konoha thanks to his prolonged and dangerous mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki. Usually, he'd stop by Ame's and just crash there, but with Sakura living there...

"Home. We'll figure something out so my sister doesn't freak out."

Otter followed Cat up the stairs. It was late, but she could see the blond pacing around her office. She was less than surprised when the door opened before she had even knocked. "The boys out front mentioned two ANBU and a human package reporting in. I saw no point in going home," Tsunade smirked, opening the door wider to invite them in.

With a sigh of relief, the two removed their masks and Ame let Sasuke slide out of her arms to the floor with a thud. "You know, when he wakes up and realizes we're not his enemies, I hope he gives you a good pounding for dropping him so many times over the last few days," Itachi glared at the pink-haired woman taking a seat next to him.

"Meh, consider it pay back for being an ass to Sakura," Ame muttered before yawning heartily.

Tsunade felt bad for making them report so soon after arriving, but Sasuke was a risk and she didn't want any accidents--particularly where Itachi was involved. "Any more problems on the way here?"

"With Sasuke? No, Ame knocked him out pretty good," Itachi smirked at his little brother, still unconscious.

"Lady Hokage, our issues are less to do with the Akatsuki and more to do with Orochimaru," Ame grumbled out, a bored look on her face. "We can definitely expect retribution for taking his favourite student from him."

Tsunade clasped her hands, putting her index fingers to her pursed lips. "How did you acquire your target?"

Itachi and Ame looked at each other, then back to the blond. "I used his brother as bait. Conveniently, the Akatsuki was on the border of Sound, at the time. Itachi will have a more than decent alibi to explain his extended--or even _indefinite_--absence." Ame shot a quick half smile at her friend before continuing. "Sure enough, Kabuto reported back to Orochimaru, who seemed more than happy to inform his latest apprentice. While Itachi distracted him, I sedated him for a few hours. Kabuto escaped during the start of the fight, and Orochimaru was not present."

Itachi grunted. "He probably figured that Sasuke would die, anyway."

"No," Ame squinted at her partner, thoughtfully. "If Sasuke did kill you, power and revenge would no longer be necessary given his limited knowledge of what really happened to the rest of the Uchiha clan."

"Urrrmph." Sasuke stirred on the floor. Ame and Itachi turned to see Sasuke flexing his fingers, moving his body to roll over on his back. Itachi watched as Ame cautiously drew a kunai from her weapons pouch, prepared to pounce and kill the teenager if it came down to it. Tsunade, however, had other ideas.

"Now, now," Tsunade got up from her chair and walked over to boy, pulling something from her robes. "No need to be so rough. This will only sting for a second," she cooed, injecting him with what Ame figured to be a sedative. When the youngest Uchiha sighed, his breath even and slow, Tsunade turned to raise an eyebrow at the pink-haired woman. "Ame, you look like shit." The posture of said-woman slumped as she put away the kunai. "Go home and get some rest. You can give me your report in a couple of days."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." She started to get up before remembering the two Uchiha in the room. "But what about-"

"I took the liberty of having the Uchiha compound cleaned up." Tsunade smirked at the surprise on the ANBU man's face. "Itachi, you can stay there until we figure out the next step against the Akatsuki and Orochimaru. Go get some rest." Her golden eyes looked over to the boy on the floor. "I have to examine Sasuke before taking him to Ibiki for a psychological evaluation and eventual interrogation."

"When you say 'stay at the Uchiha compound,' does that mean I'm stuck there or is it safe for me to-"

"-Hokage-sama, honestly, you can't expect Itachi Uchiha _not_ to attract attention and, potentially, get his ass handed to him by some of the blind patriots of Konoha!" Ame chimed in, interrupting Itachi.

"Itachi, I'm afraid you'll have to limit yourself to the compound. Some of my best shinobi are in town and won't hesitate to arrest you, even if you are in henge," Tsunade reasoned.

"Great," The elder Uchiha muttered.

"Meh, don't worry. I'll drop by to keep you company." Pink eyebrows wiggled as Ame's lips spread into a sympathetic smirk. "If I were you, I would worry more about your little brother's-"

"Ame, they will both be safe, so go home." Tsunade gave her a reassuring smile. She didn't want to give the kunoichi's emotions any reason to flare up in anger. The two shinobi gave a collective sigh, nodding in understanding before walking out of her office to teleport to their respective living arrangements.

When both ANBU were out of sight, Tsunade sighed deeply, looking back at the teenage boy still unconscious on the floor. _Thank you, Ame. Thank you for bringing them both back, alive._

Ame Haruno appeared in a puff of mist and water vapor in front of her house. The streets of Konoha were mostly empty, and she couldn't help but be grateful for their impeccable timing. _A daylight arrival, even in the early morning, would have been too risky. We would have needed crowd control just to get Sasuke Uchiha to the Hokage in one piece!_ Ame sighed and opened her front door.

_That smell...so familiar..._ Ame removed her boots before walking in further. _Miso...strawberry shampoo--that must be my sister. Some other sweet flower--what's her name--Ino!_ The kunoichi sniffed the couch deeply, scrunching her tired face in speculation. _Hmm. Male. Sandalwood. It seems familiar, but not ringing any bells._ The woman sighed in defeat, picking up her gear and heading up the hall. She paused in her bedroom to drop off her pack before tiptoeing across the hall to her guest room.

Sure enough, Sakura lay snuggled in the deep purple comforter, her pink locks falling over her closed eyes. _Man, seeing her like that makes me feel old, _Ame thought with a quiet groan before closing the door and walking back into her own room. As she started to strip off her white ANBU vest, Ame noticed the lamp on desk shining. _Shit! Jiraiya wanted me to finish editing that! I bet Sakura left the light on, looking for something and got a nasty surprise. Damn!_ After peeling off the rest of her clothing, Ame rubbed on some mint lotion and threw on the black camisole and green boxers that were still strewn on her messy sheets from the morning she left. It had been a while since she had the pleasure of sleeping in her firm bed and comfortable sheets, but with Sakura recently moving in over the last few days and checking up on the place before that, Ame was just glad it wasn't as stale as she expected. After turning off the desk lamp and pulling the covers over her, Ame closed her eyes in exhaustion. That night, she dreamed of sandalwood.

_**Seventeen years ago...**_

"_What do you mean I can't go home yet?!" Kakashi could hear the annoyed yell of a teenage girl from the other side of the door. _

"_Now, Ame, your injuries were pretty serious. We need to make sure you're completely-"_

"_-But I AM completely healed!"_

_Kakashi heard a sigh from a woman inside, probably a medic nin. "We don't know for sure, yet. You don't want to take the chance of us being wrong, do you?"_

_The girl inside the room grumbled and it took everything for Kakashi not to chuckle loudly from imagining the pout he knew would be painted on her pale features. Figuring the medic could use a rescue, herself, Kakashi took a deep breath and knocked._

_The door opened to reveal a blond haired woman with golden eyes, the same medic from the day before. She looked him up and down, smirking at his dark eyes once she caught sight of the flowers in his hand. "Ame, your heroic shinobi is here to see you," The woman's voice had a teasing quality to it that was hard to miss. As she made her way out, Kakashi heard her whisper. "Good luck," And with a wink, she was gone._

_Kakashi looked at the pink-haired girl in the bed who was fidgeting just as much as he was. It was uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn't help it. The girl had dressings around her head and arms for some cuts, while her leg was wrapped with a splint. "You came back," She smiled, motioning him to sit down. _

"_H-How are you feeling?" Kakashi could feel his face blush. _Oh Kami, did I just stutter?!_ His eyes wandered to her messy pink hair that framed her face, where she now wore a grin. Her green gaze became more blue, and it met with the flowers he held in his hand. "These are for you. Is there, uh, somewhere I can-"_

"_-There's a vase in that closet. Can I smell them?"_

"_Uh, yeah." His awkward hands handed her the flowers as if they were playing Hot Potato. He grabbed the aforementioned vase and filled it with water to see her nose grazing the petals, her eyes closed in contentment. _

"_Thank you. I love tsutsuji."_

_The boy almost dropped the vase. He looked up slowly to see her blush, her hand to her mouth in a coy attempt to hide a smile. She was giggling. She was giggling and Kakashi felt like he was going to join the water in the vase as it splashed on the floor. Miraculously, the vase, and his teenaged body, remained intact. He put the azalea flowers in the vase and sat it on the night stand. Before he could make it to the chair, her hand caught his wrist._

"_Sit _here_, silly." The pink haired girl padded the space on the bed beside her. "I promise, I won't bite."_

_Kakashi obliged, though a part of him screamed in silence about how inappropriate the contact probably was. He had only known this girl a day. What if her father came in and found him so close to her? He shook the thoughts away in time to catch her frown. _Uh oh. Time to clean up the mess I have caused. Wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea...

"_I guess I don't have to worry about you kicking me in the ribs, either." His eyebrows crinkled in amusement as she playfully slapped his arm._

"_Hey! Just because I can't walk-"_

"_I was kidding."_

_Silence passed between them before the girl spoke again. "So, what were you doing there, anyway? Yesterday, I mean." _

"_Oh, one of my teammates was late for training, _again_. I was going to find him so we could have a proper session." Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, remembering his words to his friend as he finally met up with him upon leaving the hospital._

"_What's your team like?" The girl's eyes were green again, and Kakashi blushed at her curiosity before describing his team. He talked about his sensei at great length before going on about his teammates. The girl watched in fascination as he spoke enthusiastically about his duty to Konoha and the things he learned from his sensei. She looked impressed and Kakashi secretly hoped she was in awe of his great achievements. After a while, he noticed the light from outside the window fading. _

_Her pink hair danced back and forth as she giggled. "Obito sounds like a lot o fun, but I think Rin has a crush on you."_

"_Well," Kakashi looked sheepishly into her greenish-gold eyes. "The truth is, Obito really likes Rin." _

_She opened her mouth in shock. "Wow! And who do _you_ like?" She teased him, watching his ears change colour and his eyes widen with the shock of the question._

_Kakashi scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Ah, hmmm. I, uh... think I like..." He willed his dark eyes to meet hers again, as if they had the courage to say what his mouth wouldn't. She merely returned his gaze with confusion. "I should probably get going, Ame."_

"_Yeah? I guess it _is_ kind of late," Kakashi suddenly felt like a jerk for making her look so sad._

"_I have an important mission with my team tomorrow."_

"_Oh."_

"_I _should_ be back in a couple of weeks, though." Kakashi's voice dripped with the same youthful enthusiasm he teased Maito Guy for having, but he couldn't help it. "Maybe we could meet up again? And talk?"_

_As if by magic, Ame's green eyes lit up like Christmas. "Really? Oh, I know! I'll meet you at that same tree!"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Yes! I'll give it two weeks. After that, I'll come by the tree in the afternoon. I always read there, anyway," The girl said, matter of fact._

"_Sounds like a plan."_

_Ame giggled. Then, she took a deep breath and, before Kakashi knew what had happened, she gave him a peck on his covered cheek. "Don't be late like Obito!"_

Kakashi squinted before letting out a hearty yawn. Turning to look at what woke him, he let out a soft growl at the full moon bathing him generously in light. He moved his neck the other way to read "3:05" on his clock. _Three in the morning and I'm having flashbacks for dreams._

"Ugh, won't it ever end?" He grumbled before getting up to close the curtains.

The annoying light blocked by the thick fabric, Kakashi ran a hand through his disheveled silver hair, groaning in annoyance. He couldn't help but think he had another long day ahead of him.

"First thing's first." He sighed, slipping into another big yawn before settling back in bed. As he tried to go back to sleep, he licked his lips. He couldn't help but wonder why he was imagining the smell and taste of mint.


	8. Chapter 8

**"Whenever It Rains"  
_Naruto_  
Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come  
Rated: M (eventually)  
Chapter 8 - First Impressions and Pain  
_Author's Note - I just want to say thanks to everyone reading this. I appreciate the encouragement and hope you continue to like it. This chapter is pretty long. Hopefully it makes up for the next one being rather short. As usual, read, review and enjoy.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._**

--

"Hey, dickless." Naruto Uzumaki looked up from his bowl of ramen to see his dark-haired teammate looking blank as ever.

"Shut up, Sai!"

The brunette would have smirked if business weren't the objective. "The Hokage wishes to see you, Kakashi and Sakura immediately. You're to meet her at Ibiki's interrogation facility."

"Ughhh!" The blond teenager groaned. "Why do we have to meet baa-chan at that creepy guy's office?"

The black-haired teenager sighed. "Don't know. Don't care."

"A lot of help _you_ are!" Naruto growled before slurping up the rest of his ramen. "I'll get Kakashi-sensei if you'll go get Sakura."

Sai nodded and turned in the direction of, one, Ame Haruno. He wasn't sure if he had met her yet, as much of Konoha was ignorant of her existence; however, he couldn't miss a chance to see Sakura still hung over with sleep.

_**Sixteen years ago...**_

"_You know, reading in a tree when a rainstorm is approaching can be dangerous," Kakashi whispered into a pale ear. He maneuvered in front of the young woman and settled on the thick branch, his one dark eye focused on her failed attempt to resist smiling._

_Not looking up from her book, Ame continued reading. "Isn't that what I have _you_ here for, Kakashi Hatake, the great genius of Konoha?" _

_Smirking beneath his mask, Kakashi picked up leaf and threw it in her direction teasingly. "Most people learn after one mishap."_

"_I thought you liked me falling for you."_

_Her remark achieved the desired effect as Kakashi's exposed eye widened in shock, but not before his face broke out in a rare but light blush. "That may be so, but I'm not a fan of seeing you in pain, Ame." His eye looked up to meet hers. Green-gold gazed back at him, and he took it as a cue to scoot closer and offer his hand. "I mean it, rain's on the way. Unless it was your plan to get us both sick and shivering, I suggest we find shelter in the next twenty minutes or that nurse will have my ass." He watched as she closed the book in her hands, something about the practical applications of herbology, before her fingers made contact with his. _

"_Tsunade-sensei would never _dream_ of hurting one of Konoha's finest," Ame giggled as Kakashi pulled her to her feet._

"_Yeah, well sannin or not, I still can't shake the look she gave me that first time I brought you in with the broken leg." Kakashi turned around and positioned himself in a crouch._

"_You know, I can get down from a tree, too. I haven't hurt myself _once_ since that first time we met!" Her hands were on her hips and a pink eyebrow was raised in defiance. Kakashi's head dropped in frustration before getting to his feet and turning to meet her._

"_Okay then, shall we?" He gestured to the ground, leaping gracefully from the thick branch and landing on the grass in a crouch before standing up straight. _

_Ame rolled her green eyes and reached to put her book in the pack, slung over her shoulder. After a quick tug to her short, plum coloured skirt, she stepped off the branch. With a smirk, Kakashi moved quickly to catch the girl before her feet could make contact with the ground. This earned him pinch to the shoulder, but the laughter that sang in his ears afterward made the gesture worthwhile. Once she could contain herself, Ame bumped her shoulder into his body. "Where to, then?"_

_Before Kakashi could answer, the pounding of raindrops on leaves drummed in his ears. "My place, fast!"_

_The rain got louder as his legs kept moving. The trees started to disappear, the sky following. Everything blurred around him, and he tried to think if he had ever traveled through such heavy rain. Every step Kakashi took reverberated in his head. He had to get them out of the rain before they got sick. He had to save Ame before she caught a cold. The thought of the girl caused his heart to thud in his chest and that pounding was starting to take over his head._

_Thump. Thump. Thump. THUMP!_

Kakashi shook his head in annoyance trying to keep the sound out of his ears. When holding a pillow to his head failed, he threw off the black sheets and comforter, pulled on the discarded jounin trousers from last night, along with his trusty mask and hitai-ate before answering the door.

Thump, thump, thump. "Kakashi-sensei! Come on! Open up!"

_Well, no need to figure out who brought me out of that flashback of a dream..._ Kakashi unlocked and opened the door to see his orange-clad teammate, bright-eyed and annoying as ever. "Geez! What took you so long?"

"Good morning to you, too, Naruto." Kakashi left the door open, allowing his former student entrance as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Baa-chan wants to see us. Something about Ibiki's interrogation facility," The blond shook his head, struggling to remember just exactly what Sai had told him.

"Is that so?" Kakashi allowed his dark eye to look at the blond briefly, before continuing to splash water on his face and squeeze some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "When does she want us there?"

Naruto rolled his blue eyes. "Eh, as soon as possible. Sai's gonna tell Sakura to meet us there."

Kakashi's stomach lurched. He spat out the foam and rinsed his mouth with water. "Go on ahead and I'll meet you there, Naruto."

As predicted, the teenager shrugged and started out the door. "Okay Kakashi-sensei! But don't be late!"

When the door clicked behind Konoha's number one knuckle-head ninja, Kakashi let out a long deep breath he couldn't remember holding. _Sasuke. It has to be about Sasuke._ Again, his thoughts gleamed over the memories of his promising former student. He pulled his mask down and removed his hitai-ate. _A shower and shave wouldn't hurt._ He turned on the shower and stripped. As the water rolled down his toned skin, he remembered the dreams he had, each one a memory of Ame. Lathering the soap, he frowned. He couldn't help but find it a little absurd that his mind continued to drift to a woman he hadn't seen in fifteen years when his concern was about a former student his team had never stopped looking for. In any case, he could very well end up seeing both in a little bit, so Kakashi threw his towel in the shower and headed to his room to get dressed.

Sai knocked on the door of the small house he had been in just yesterday. Hearing nothing, he started to knock again before it opened to reveal a woman with pink hair, light green eyes and a smirk. In one hand, she held the door open, while the other had an apple. "Can I help you with something, shinobi?" She had a pink eyebrow raised, and Sai couldn't help it as his gaze took in the black camisole and green boxer shorts. As his eyes glossed back up over the woman's figure, he noticed the ANBU tattoo on her arm and met her stare.

"Haruno-san, I come with a message for Sakura-chan from the Hokage." Sai waited for a response, only to enter as she opened the door wider for him.

"Have a seat. I've got tea on the fire, if you'd like." The woman spoke over her shoulder casually, padding up the hall to knock on the first door on the right. When she opened it, Sai could hear her voice plummet in volume. "Sakura, sweetie, you need to wake up. Shishou wants you." After a few soft protests, he saw his teammate drag herself to the bathroom, clothes in hand while the taller, thinner Haruno gestured to the kitchen. "Have some tea. She'll be a while."

Sai followed the woman to the kitchen and watched as she poured him a liquid he had never smelled before. She handed him the cup and watched as he hesitated. "It's a special mix I get from an acquaintance in Suna. It has more spice to it than the usual Konoha blends." As the woman took a long sip, Sai followed suit to find he liked the taste.

"Thank you, Haruno-san. It's very good."

"Call me Ame. And you are?"

"Sai. Team Seven calls me Sai."

The words earned him a raised pink eyebrow. "Ah, the infamous Sai. I hear you have quite a mouth on you," Ame smirked as she pieced together the stories Sakura told her about the young man in front of her.

Before Sai could defend himself, a sigh was heard behind him. "Hello, ugly," The words were out before he realized it.

With a quick eye roll, "Hello, Sai," Sakura replied before giving her older sister a belated welcome-back-hug. "Why didn't you wake me when you got home?"

"It was late and you were pretty out of it." Ame poured another cup of tea for her sister and handed her another apple from the fridge. "You should probably get going. Tsunade might blow a fuse if you're late."

Sakura finished her tea and waved her good-byes, Sai following her out the door. After just a few steps out of the house, he looked back at Ame in the front door. His head tilted thoughtfully, he waved stiffly before following Sakura to the interrogation facility. Ame did her best not to be amused by the young man's obvious lack of social mannerisms, but failed as she closed the door. Her chuckles echoed through the hallway as she made her way to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Just as she reached for her toothbrush, she heard a knock.

_Ugh, stupid Uchiha,_ Ame groaned. She had an idea what her visitor had to say.

"Your breath smells like spicy garbage." Anko Mitarashi smirked in the doorway, her dark eyes meeting greenish-blue ones. "Awww, you're not gonna get all emotional on me, now, are ya?"

"Like hell I am," Ame muttered as she pulled her best friend into a hug. "What's your ass doing here so early?"

The dark haired woman pulled away, smiling. "Eh, Hokage's orders--and sensei's."

"I see." Ame ran a hand through her chin-length pink locks. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain human package delivered last night for interrogation, would it?" Her smirk relayed amusement and guilt that Anko immediately picked up on.

"Maybe."

"Ibiki-sensei's office, then?"

"Yeah, and maybe wear something a little special." Anko had mischief written all over her face and Ame didn't like it one bit.

"Why's that?"

"Let's just say there's going to be fireworks."

Ame rubbed her palm to her forehead in frustration. "Ughhh. Okay, spill it."

Anko followed Ame to the bathroom, watching and talking as the woman washed her face and brushed her teeth. "Ibiki thought it would be good for you and I to be there for the interrogation. Tsunade's already cleared him with a clean bill of health and gave Ibiki some ground rules for us to follow." Ame rolled her eyes as she gurgled water in her mouth. "Naturally, Tsunade wants Team Seven to be present for the interrogation, however difficult it might be for some of them." Anko watched as her friend shrugged. "When I say 'Team Seven,' Ame, I _do_ mean _all_ of them."

Ame stopped scrubbing her molars with the toothbrush, tilting her head and sneering slightly at the woman before her. "You don't mean--"

"--Yes, Ame. Kakashi will be there, too."

Ame hunched over the sink, trying to pull her thoughts together. _Of course, Kakashi will be there, stupid. You didn't really think you could bring back Sasuke Uchiha to Konoha and _not_ expect to bump into Kakashi Hatake in the process... _"Does he know?"

Anko raised an eyebrow at the emotional restraint her friend was exercising. "Yes. He helped us move your sister in yesterday."

_Sandalwood._ Ame sighed and made a hand gesture for Anko to continue as she continued brushing her teeth.

"Depending on what we find out, Sasuke will probably stay in custody for another week. Your buddy, Otter, is giving information to Tsunade and ANBU strategists."

"He doesn't know about--"

"--He knows who was with you," Anko admitted as her gaze dropped to the floor. "He knows what side he's really on." Her dark eyes looked up and she couldn't help but sigh at the emotions churning inside her best friend. "That doesn't mean Hatake won't still kick his ass for what he's put Team Seven through."

Ame rubbed her temples, finally giving up after a minute or two. _Just what I don't need: my first love beating the shit out of one of my most reliable friends and teammates..._

"Ame," Anko's voice was quiet, almost a whisper compared to her usual tone, and Ame tried to remember the last time the woman before her ever spoke like that. "I'm not totally sure he ever got over you."

The pink-haired kunoichi turned around on the ball of her feet and rested her rear against the sink, leaning back to take a good look at her friend. "Flattery isn't your thing, Anko Mitarashi," She smirked.

Anko rubbed her forehead. "I'm serious. He kinda freaked out when he saw the pictures."

Ame couldn't help the snort. "Kakashi Hatake, the Great Copy Nin of Konoha, doesn't freak out, Anko." She scanned her friend's eyes and she wasn't sure she like the hesitation she saw.

"Normally, I'd agree. I'm serious, though. The man was not his usual self."

Ame pushed off the sink with her hip and walked into her room, pulling out bindings, panties, and a long-sleeved, hooded red dress. As she headed back into the bathroom for her shower, she looked back at her friend who was uncharacteristically chewing on her lip. "Things change, Anko. Kakashi and I have had separate lives."

"But--"

"You should know," Ame knew it was a low blow, and unintentional at that. Still, she couldn't help but make her point. "You should know that better than anyone."

The hidden meaning didn't escape Anko. "Ame--"

"--It's okay, Anko." Ame looked into her friend's eyes, her face calm and hardly displaying any emotion. "That he shared his first time with you, and not me, couldn't have been avoided. I can't be jealous, nor have I been. You were here in Konoha, Anko. I wasn't. We were young." Ame's eyes were greenish-grey, now. She wasn't sure what she felt, but a churning in her stomach told her she needed a reprieve. "Things will happen the way they want, Anko. While I expect Kakashi to be upset about my absence and perhaps some of my actions and choices, I do not expect Kakashi Hatake to still have feelings for me. Whatever guilt you still harbor for the past, you've no need to burden yourself." Her eyes met Anko's again, a slight hint of gold to the unique hue. "Tell Ibiki-sensei I'm on my way, okay?"

With a quick nod and a hug, Anko was out the front door, leaving Ame to take a deep breath and turn on the shower. _The past is past. _Ame took her mint soap and a wash cloth and began scrubbing at her skin. She closed her eyes under the hot water. _I 'm sorry, Kakashi. I truly am..._

Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke outside a large building he generally avoided. He watched as ANBU walked in and out, along with jounin and higher-ranked chunin. Hands in his pockets, the silver-haired man made his way through the doors. His heart began to speed up as he made his way to the office of Ibiki Morino. His last encounter with the man has not been pleasant, and something told Kakashi that this one was bound to be even less friendly.

Just as Kakashi was about to knock on the office door, it opened reveal Tsunade and Ibiki. Neither was showing much beyond a calm expression. "Kakashi, why don't you join me and the rest of your team in room four? Ibiki will be in the adjoining interrogation room." Tsunade waited for him to nod in compliance before leading through the hallway.

"Is this about Sasuke?" His droopy eye looked up at Tsunade, who seemed lost in thought.

"Yes. He's going to be interrogated. Ibiki thought you and your team should be there." A part of the blond haired woman truly felt awful for the Uchiha, but not as bad as she felt for the people who cared about him. Those same people were going to have to watch him go through aggressive questioning from some of her best shinobi in the field of interrogation. No doubt, Sakura would have some very conflicted feelings towards her sister after this. The prospect of creating a rift between the Haruno sisters so soon after the death of their parents seemed cruel and unjust to Tsunade, but her options were limited. If the information gathered from Itachi and Ame was any indication, they needed every advantage they could get their hands on.

Tsunade opened the door to Room Four, where Yamato, Sai, Naruto and Sakura already found seats. Kakashi took up a spot by the glass that looked inside the interrogation room. Satisfied that everyone was present and attentive, Tsunade took a deep breath. "I have some mixed news, which is why I called all of Team Seven here." Before she could speak again, the door to the interrogation room opened and a pink haired woman in a red, long-sleeved dress led a dark haired young man to a chair in the room.

"It-it can't be..." Sakura's eyes began to well up with tears.

Naruto's blue eyes widened as he rushed to the glass, as if not believing the sight before him. "Sasuke!"

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed. _He's alive. _He looked over his former student. Sasuke's hands were tied together in front of him. He had a few cuts and bruises but, otherwise, looked unharmed. He had definitely grown in the time he was gone, and Kakashi noted more muscle and definition. The young man seemed stronger than before and Kakashi had to wonder by just how much. His thoughts were interrupted by a flash of red that was now crossing her arms and standing against a corner on one leg.

"Alright, Uchiha. Tell us where you've been." Kakashi watched as green eyes burned into the back of his former student's head. The woman was thin and looked more like a dancer than a kunoichi. Pink strands fell in her face, despite her forehead protector and Kakashi felt himself tense. _Ame._ His gaze traveled from her layered pink hair and pale, bare neck to down her torso. Her dress seemed just a little loose, but flattering to her lean figure. The hem stopped mid thigh, causing Kakashi's eye to travel further down to her shin guards and sandals.

In some ways, Kakashi could still see the girl he had met seventeen years ago. The pale skin and pink hair hadn't changed all that much, and it caused him to smile. Still, the years of being apart had given puberty plenty of time to have its way with her and Kakashi couldn't help but admit it: he liked the results. His ogling stopped, however, when that same attractive woman began to glare at the teenager in the chair.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I need you to talk to me." A warning made its way into her tone and Kakashi couldn't help but shiver.

"Who's that?" Naruto looked from Sakura to Tsunade to Kakashi and Yamato in confusion.

It was Sakura who answered with a heavy and almost shameful sigh. "That's my sister, Naruto. That's Ame." The girl's cheeks burned dark red as tears continued to fall. Kakashi walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. _This has to be hard for her. Damn it, Tsunade, why did it have to be her sister doing the interrogation?_

As if reading his mind, Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed. "I wanted to give Sasuke a chance before bringing in Ibiki. I'm sorry, Sakura, but we need to know about Orochimaru."

"I'm talking to you, Sasuke," Everyone turned to see Ame, now standing just inches away from the young Uchiha. Kakashi couldn't help but notice her eyes were becoming less green and more gold in colour. He turned to Tsunade to see if she noticed, but the woman made no move.

"Why did you bring me back, Sakura?"

Kakashi looked back at his former student, who had finally spoken aloud. The bitter expression remained as the interrogation room door opened to reveal a man in a long black trench coat with a scarred face. He looked at his female companion who was now sneering dangerously at the dark haired teen. "I'm not as merciful as Sakura. Now, tell me about Orochimaru." Her voice was void of emotion and Kakashi looked at Ibiki to see that he was more focused on Ame than Sasuke.

"Or you'll what?" Sasuke smirked, looking straight in front of him, daring the woman to make a move.

Kakashi watched as the woman's eyes went from gold to something darker. Her quick glance at Ibiki Morino, who answered her with a nod, resulted in a faster progression to brown. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Ame made a series of hand signs. Sasuke's head jerked left, then right, as if being punched. His cheeks became red and his breathing sped up as Ibiki moved himself behind Ame, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"What the hell is she doing to him?!" Naruto leaped out of his chair to charge at the glass wall in front of them before Yamato and Sai grabbed him. Kakashi looked down to see Sakura's shoulders shaking with deep sobs, causing him to run a hand through her hair like he did when she was twelve.

"Naruto," Tsunade bit her lip. "I know this is hard for you, but we need this information. We _need_ Sasuke to cooperate. This is the second person he has been questioned by since the ANBU team I sent to retrieve him brought him back, last night."

As the blond started to growl his protests, Kakashi watched as Sakura got up from her chair to stand between Naruto and the glass. "She won't kill him, Naruto," The teenaged girl blurted out between sniffles.

"Well, she sure as hell is beating the crap out of him!"

Sakura's sympathetic green eyes welled up with fresh tears. "It's not her fault, baka! She's an interrogator!" Sobs took over the teen as her gaze drifted to the floor. Seeing his teammate look defeated, Naruto stopped fighting the men holding him back before taking the pink-haired girl in his arms. "Even though she could kill him in that state, she won't." Her voice dropped to a whisper, causing Naruto to give her a light squeeze.

"She's right," Tsunade cut in. "She's only using a _very mild _genjutsu on him."

Kakashi studied the scene in the room in front of them. Ibiki still stood behind Ame, who was in deep concentration as Sasuke mumbled on about Sound, Grass, and a few other territories. Seeing the young man in so much pain while the woman inflicting it was not even breaking a sweat, Kakashi couldn't help but ask. "What do you mean by 'a very mild genjutsu,' Tsunade? It looks to me like she's inflicting the kind of pain a high level genjutsu would cause."

Tsunade had just opened her mouth to answer when Sakura spoke up, first. "Kurama blood."

His exposed eye widened and he turned from Tsunade back to Sakura. Meanwhile, Sasuke was sitting in his chair, passed out. Kakashi watched as Ibiki whispered something in the woman's ear, causing her to release the genjutsu and check on the teenager. Blood trickled thinly from his nose and mouth, but his breathing looked normal.

As Ibiki carried Sasuke out the door, Kakashi looked at the woman standing alone in the room. He watched as she bit her lip nervously, finally bowing her head to the floor. He wasn't sure if she felt shame or regret for the antics she just performed in the name of their village, but he did see something. As she looked up and turned her body to face the one-way looking glass that separated the rooms, he recognized the subtle hue painted across her features. It was pain.


	9. Chapter 9

**Whenever It Rains  
Naruto  
Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come  
Rated: M (eventually)  
Chapter 9 - Healing**

_Author's Note - This chapter is a bit shorter. Prepare to laugh at the next chapter. g Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

--

Ame Haruno turned to look at her face in the mirrored glass of the interrogation room. Seeing her reflection, she couldn't help the thought that struck her right then and there. She hated herself.

In her head, Ame pictured the younger, smaller version of herself in the other room. _No doubt, my sister officially hates me right now._ The woman took a deep breath and held it, trying to gather her thoughts when the door opened and closed ever so quietly. "It never did suit that face of yours."

The kunoichi sighed and moved her gaze to the side to see the reflection of a silver haired man, the familiar mask around the bottom of his face and his hitai-ate covering an eye. "What's that?" Ame asked, unable to figure out what he was referring to.

Kakashi leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms in front of him as he studied the woman whose reflection stared back at him. "Pain."

Ame looked at the floor, suddenly finding it to be the most interesting thing in the world. "Maybe it's not pain." She took a deep breath before looking back up in the mirror. "Interrogations can be rather frustrating."

Kakashi's eye never left her. "Are they usually?"

"No." Ame turned around. "It's been a while. Hasn't it?" Her voice was quiet, and Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Yes, it has."

Her green-grey eyes looked back at the ground. "You know, this isn't how I hoped to meet Sakura's team." She looked back up at him with nothing but seriousness. "Is she upset?"

Kakashi stood up straight, putting his hands in his pockets. "A little." He watched as her red-clad shoulders slouched. "But she defended your duty as an interrogator to another teammate who was ready to rip your head off." Kakashi took a couple of steps closer to her. "She doesn't hate you, if that's what you're worried about."

Ame smiled at the ground before looking up, green eyes meeting black. Before she could say anything, the door opened again. Ibiki Morino stood in the frame, looking from Ame to Kakashi. "Anko's writing up the report."

The pink haired kunoichi turned to the man in the trench coat. "What are the orders of the Hokage?" Ame's thoughts turned to her friend, all cooped up in the Uchiha compound alone. She didn't want to think about what would happen to the man if he set foot beyond those walls without masking his chakra and wearing his white otter mask.

"Sasuke will remain in custody for the next week for psychological evaluation." Ibiki crossed his arms over his chest. "We'll use that time to evaluate him as he adjusts to life in Konoha. Depending on his improvement, he will return to the care of Itachi."

This time, Kakashi spoke up. "Is that really a wise idea?"

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "The kid's got to accept the truth at some point."

"So, we''re going with Plan A, then?" Ame looked at her sensei with a hopeful expression.

"Yes and no. Itachi's going to need to keep a low profile. ANBU missions are fine, but until Sasuke gets it through his brain that Itachi didn't kill off their clan, we can't exactly parade the clean and glorious return of the eldest Uchiha."

Kakashi saw the disappointment in Ame's slouched posture. He didn't need the sharingan to see her knuckles whitening as she tightened her fist. "After everything we have worked for, everything! Why do I get to have a life in Konoha while Itachi has to wait?" Her face was contorted in anger and Kakashi could only watch with surprise and interest as Ibiki moved to put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"As far as the Akatsuki know, Itachi is dead. Still, we have matters at home to deal with," Ibiki tried to comfort the woman.

"Matters at--"

"--Don't worry your pretty little head over it, Hatake," The scarred man warned. "When we have something for you to do, we'll call you."

Kakashi took a step back, causing Ame to smirk. "So, who gets to know about him? You know Itachi will go crazy by himself at that compound," She thought to herself out loud.

"At the moment, Tsunade is doing her best to explain the situation to the rest of Team Seven. Besides them, it's you two, Anko, Genma, Asuma and Kurenai. I specifically chose those who were most likely to suspect something, should Itachi try wandering the village, masked chakra or not."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at this. "That's a fair assumption."

"Good. Now that that's settled, you should go enjoy a couple of days off, Ame."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "But--"

"--Hokage's orders." Ibiki knew his student well enough to anticipate her protests. "She said you looked like shit. Anko gave it a second, so don't even think about putting up a fight or I'll have your ass filing charts so fast--"

"Gah! Okay, okay, I'm going!" Ame raised her hands in front of her in surrender.

As she walked out the door, Ibiki looked from his former student to the silver haired idiot still standing in the interrogation room. "Hatake, this is the part where you walk her home and get reacquainted with her." He watched, more than a little amused, as Kakashi shook himself from his thoughts. Ibiki looked over the younger man who was, now, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"To be honest," Kakashi looked up at the stern, scarred face. "I'm not quite sure where to begin."

Ibiki rolled his eyes, putting a hand on Kakashi's back and giving him a slight push to the door. "Fifteen years is a long time. You're not gonna fit it all in an hour." He shook his head, wondering why he had to explain something so simple to a supposed genius.

Kakashi sighed, knowing Ibiki was right. "I guess I have some catching up to do." The silver haired man kept walking down the hall, exiting the building. Ibiki watched in silence before joining Tsunade and the rest of Team Seven in his office.

_**Seventeen years ago**_

_Ame ran through the hospital doors. She didn't stop to talk to anyone, and she didn't stop to answer any questions. She was there for one reason and one reason only._

"_Ame! To what do I owe--"_

"_--Where is he?" Gold-green eyes met amber ones as the blond clasped her hands together and pursed her lips in contemplation. She had seen this coming, had known it the moment the silver haired boy had been brought in, along with his team's medic..._

"_He is in room twenty-eight, _resting."_ Tsunade emphasized the last part, hoping to get it across to her student. Naturally, this subtle attempt failed as the informed teenager ran down the hall, her intentions clear to the woman whose charge she was currently in. _

_Finding the correct room, Ame stopped and took a deep breath, pulling on the hem of her black skirt. _Calm down, baka. He is resting. Storming down the door is not going to help him feel better, _the pink haired girl reminded herself, before slowly pushing down on the door handle to let herself in._

_There, on the white hospital bed, lay the boy she sought out. His silver hair was sticking up here and flattened there, while his navy blue face mask covered his nose and mouth. It took only a second for her green-blue eyes to see the stitches above and below his eye, running just underneath the mask. _

_She didn't remember falling to her knees, nor did she remember when the tears began to fall. Her chest began to heave as a flood of emotions, all of them conflicting and confusing, swam in her head. _

_Ame gasped for air. Once. Twice._

_It was after the third time that she felt a slight flutter in her chest, remembering something her father had showed her as a child. Slowly, Ame rose from the floor and walked to his bed. As she sat on an empty spot beside him, she couldn't help but wonder how she was able to move from that earlier spot on the floor. She couldn't understand what had stopped her tears, nor could she explain what she was doing. In a way, the young girl felt like she was watching herself from across the room--and yet, she was still in her own body._

_She reached out a hand and intensely studied the line that ran across his eye. Removing the contact, she concentrated on the wound, drawing upon her chakra. "Naosugan." The word left her lips without emotion. Ame focused her chakra on Kakashi's face before sending it out to the rest of his injuries. After a few seconds, she withdrew it. Ame blinked several times before attempting to look at Kakashi only to find her vision blurred. A quick rub of her eyes revealed the silver haired boy still peacefully asleep, but now fully healed._

"_You shouldn't be so reckless with family gifts, Ame." The pink haired girl turned to see her shishou standing in the doorway, her hand pulling the door closed so as not to allow interruption._

"_I wasn't." Ame brushed a couple of stray shining strands from the sleeping boy's face before hopping off the bed._

"_The Healing Eye of the Haruno clan is best utilized for situations of a more serious nature," Tsunade warned. As if on cue, her student collapsed onto her hands and knees, breaking out into a cold sweat. "You used a lot of chakra today. You should have known the risks, using that particular kekkei genkai at this time of day." Tsunade kneeled down to brush the girl's petal-coloured strands out of her face. _

"_I needed him to be okay," Ame whispered, trying to regain control of her body._

"_Why?"_

_Ame chuckled quietly before looking up. "Because he saved my life."_

_Tsunade studied the girl's face. The bluish hue was leaving her jade orbs and her body temperature seemed to be returning to normal. What really stood out was the emotion that was written all over her student's pale features. She knew that look. She knew it because she had been there, too._

_Ame wobbled as she got to her feet, Tsunade helping her every inch of the way. As the blond led her out of the room, the girl stopped and broke free of the woman's embrace to run back to the bed. She leaned on the mattress near his ear, where she whispered, "One week from today, shinobi. Meet me at the tree." After pausing for a second, she looked at Tsunade. Grateful that the woman had suddenly found the wall interesting, Ame leaned up and placed a fast, chaste kiss on the sleeping boy's cloth-covered lips. Seeing that the woman still wasn't paying them any attention, she lowered her voice to his ear again. "I'll be waiting, Kakashi Hatake."_

Ame Haruno stared at the memorial stone. She had not even been in town one day, and already, she had forgotten to pay her respects to her recently deceased parents. In a way, it feel surreal to be standing at the stone, reading their names so meticulously engraved. Worse, it was only her own selfish guilt that had led her there, in the first place. In her mind, that just wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

So far, the events between leaving for her ANBU mission and the present had been a disaster. Emotionally, she was a wreck. _If it hadn't been for the mission, I would have been able to say a proper goodbye. If you hadn't died... Mom, Dad..._ Ame shook her head. _No! I can't think like this. I can't be so selfish!_ She sank to her knees, shin guards clanking against the gravel beneath her. _It's just too much! Mom. Dad. Taking care of Sakura._ Ame's thoughts ran wild with obligation after emotional obligation, things she knew were coming but had yet to deal with. _Keeping Itachi safe. _It wasn't until she reached the end of that list that tears fell carelessly from her eyes. _Kakashi._

Her eyes stung with feelings, diverse yet indecipherable. If she had been paying attention, Ame would have stopped her crying so she could be the rock that the shorter, rose-haired girl behind her now needed. When warm, pale arms wrapped around her shoulders, Ame didn't bother covering up her sorrow. Instead, she turned to pull Sakura to her chest, as both Haruno girls finally mourned their loss.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm sorry."

With his chakra masked, Kakashi Hatake watched the two rose-haired Harunos in front of the memorial stone from the safe distance of a tree. It didn't take a genius to see that now was hardly the time to ask questions. Though he knew it was less than appropriate, Kakashi sat on the thick branch with a sigh. _Tomorrow. I'll talk to her tomorrow._

It was ten minutes before he could bring himself to soundlessly slide down from the branch to the ground. With one last look to the women still sitting and whispering by the stone, Kakashi began a brisk pace to the bar. Genma Shiranui had some explaining to do...


	10. Chapter 10

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 10 - Drinks, Dreams and Decisions**

_Author's Note - Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

_--_

Pulling off his bandana, Genma Shiranui groaned under the dark, scrutinizing eye of one, Kakashi Hatake. He ground his teeth into the thin metal of one of his trademark senbon. "What do you want to know?"

Clearing his throat, Kakashi considered the question. Sitting in front of him was one of his closest friends, and yet the man hadn't bothered to tell him that Ame Haruno was in Konoha, much less that he had possibly had relations with her.

"For the record, Hatake," The brunette started, just before taking a quick swig of strong, warm sake. "The elders and the Hokage only had the safety of the village, and her well-being, in mind." His gaze remained in front of him while his companion stared into the bottom of his glass, contemplating those words.

_He has a point, _the silver haired jounin admitted to himself. _If Ame is, indeed, in possession of two kekkei genkai, she and the village would be in danger._ Yet, this reason, this perfectly legitimate, selfless reason did nothing to ease the deep-seeded jealousy he felt towards the man to his left, drinking sake and twirling the sliver of metal in his mouth. Kakashi's mind conjured images from the previous evening. _Ame with her arms around Genma, snuggling into his neck. Ame and Genma... sitting back to back, cleaning their weapons and clad in ANBU gear. _

"What happened between you two?" His eye still searching for nothing in the bottom of his glass while brown eyes moved in his direction.

"It was a long time ago."

"I'm listening."

Genma rolled his eyes and sighed. "You were off with Jiraiya. I was starting my training to become a jounin. We met in a training field."

"Go on." Kakashi kept his face expressionless. Inside, he wanted nothing more than to pull Genma from his chair, throw him outside and kick the shit out of him. _I have to be reasonable, though. As Ibiki said, I'm not going to learn everything overnight..._

"She was intrigued by my senbon precision."

This earned him a death glare from the Copy Nin before Genma realized the double meaning. "No, man, wait! Seriously, it wasn't like that! Not at first." Genma scooted back in his chair to put some distance between them. "She walked by the training ground, saw I was a senbon specialist and asked if she could join me and maybe work on her senbon skills. I showed her a few things, and we talked."

"And?" Kakashi's patience was starting to thin, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

"And... I asked her out." Genma turned his head at his admission to look at his hands, which were twirling another senbon back and forth between his fingers. "She said 'yes,' and it went kind of fast."

Kakashi was chewing on his lip, now, certain he tasted blood in his mouth, not sake. "So..."

"So..." Genma took a deep breathe, not sure he should finish the sentence, but wanting to get it off his chest so maybe things could go back to normal. "She was my first."

"You didn't..."

"I didn't hurt her, if that's what you're asking." Genma motioned for another bottle of sake for the two men. "To be honest, she's the one who called it quits." As expected Kakashi looked up in surprise. "I could kind of tell she wasn't totally feeling it." He chuckled at himself. "Apparently, I wasn't that good, to top it off, so she stuck a senbon in my mouth and suggested I practice."

Kakashi snorted, finally surrendering a deep chuckle at the expense of his companion who was also starting to laugh. "After that?" He asked, after they both settled down.

"We stayed friends." Genma refilled each glass, taking a quick drink. "She and I took missions together when I joined ANBU, along with Anko. Eventually, I got to hear about 'the heroic silver haired shinobi who stole her teenaged heart,' and there you have it."

"Sooo... just that once?"

"Well," Genma scratched his shoulder blade uncomfortably. "We hooked up a couple of more times, but only because she was lonely. It never meant anything."

Kakashi sighed, took a drink of his sake and patted Genma on the back a couple of times. Before he could say anything, someone pulled up the chair on his right, bumping him with an elbow in the process. "Got enough sake in that bottle for another glass?" Asuma Sarutobi nodded in the direction of his two jounin friends in greeting. Genma smirked and passed the bottle over while Kakashi poured liquid into the empty glass provided by the bartender. "Rumor has it, two of the village's great prodigies have returned."

Taking a big gulp of the warm alcohol, Kakashi nodded before putting his empty glass down while Asuma served him some more. "You could say that."

"You still walking, Genma?" Asuma smirked as he lit a cigarette to the man sitting two seats over and putting his black bandana back over his brown hair.

"He hasn't killed me ... yet." Genma took another quick drink and signaled for the bottle to pour himself more sake.

"Ah, but the night's still young," Asuma droned, opening his mouth to blow circles of smoke.

"The truth shall set you free," Kakashi muttered under his breath before taking another drink. Sure, he was pissed. His friend had deflowered his childhood sweetheart. He had every right to be upset. _By all means, maybe I should kick his ass..._

"Truth be told, Hatake," Asuma mused, "you'd only feel worse if you shoved every one of his senbon up his..."

"_Don't _finish that!" Genma cut in, wincing with every syllable as he imaged the scenario.

Another round of laughter, banter and two bottles of sake later, Asuma turned to his silver haired friend. "So, what are you going to do?" He asked, pulling his wallet out to help settle the bill.

Kakashi closed his eyes and shook his head. "I guess Team Seven will be taken off the roster for some team-building exercises before..."

"Idiot," Genma cut in, putting his wallet back and leading his two friends out of the bar. "He's talking about your hot, pink-haired number." Putting his foot in his mouth once again, Genma rushed to correct himself. "I mean _Ame_, stupid!"

"Oh." Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as the men walked. It was a warm evening, and the air was thick with moisture. "Like you said, Genma. 'It was a long time ago.'"

Asuma lit another cigarette, inhaling before removing it from his mouth to flick away the loose ashes. "Bullshit. I heard you checked her out real good," He smirked, earning a snicker from Genma.

"Who has Kurenai been talking to?" Kakashi mumbled, less than amused. Asuma never ventured into Ibiki's territory, which meant the information had come from Kurenai. _Since Kurenai wasn't there, today..._

"Anko was watching the camera feed. She said you were checking Ame out just before you grew a set and decided to talk to her," Asuma answered, taking another drag from his cigarette.

Genma turned away from a trio of attractive women to rejoin the conversation. "Come on, Asuma. It's been fifteen years! You can't expect Kakashi _not_ to take time to appreciate what Puberty has awarded that wonderful woman with!"

Kakashi grit his teeth. "Genma..."

"I mean, really. I know she and I are just friends, but _damn!_ Even the eldest Uchiha agrees those are some of the longest and most limber stems he's ever seen..." Genma mused to himself, eyes closed and pretending not to be aware of the dangerous game he was playing.

"Uh, Shiranui..." Asuma took the cigarette out of his mouth again, trying to warn his brunette friend and make sure the silver haired man between him didn't suddenly start pounding said-brunette into hamburger meat.

"... And _don't_ get Anko started on Ame's breasts. Supposedly she and Ame had this undercover mission, and..." Genma continued to blabber, not noticing that Kakashi had stopped walking.

Asuma slowed down, ready to block Genma to give him time before Kakashi brutally maimed him.

"...I caught up with them the next week and they both said it was the most liberating experience they've ever ha--" Genma didn't get to finish his thought because Kakashi had already decked him in the jaw. Asuma rolled his eyes and strolled over to pull Kakashi from Genma. _Some idiots just don't learn..._

_**Sixteen years ago...**_

_Ame wrapped the blanket around her shivering body just a little tighter. Her hair fell past her shoulders like wet noodles while her greenish grey eyes focused on the violent lights in the sky. She was so entranced by the lightning, she failed to hear the boy behind her. It wasn't until he put a hand on her shoulder that she jumped, turning to face him with wide eyes._

"_I made some hot tea, if you want." Kakashi gestured in the direction of the living room. Just as the girl nodded gratefully, Kakashi realized she was shivering and not wearing anything but the large, heavy blanket he gave her since their clothes were in the dryer. "Wait! Let me get you a shirt and pants to borrow!"_

_The silver haired teen ran to his bedroom. He was wearing only a pair of warm sweatpants, and could only imagine the lecture Sensei would have given him if he knew Kakashi had a girl in his apartment while dressed like that. Grabbing a long sleeve shirt and another pair of sweatpants, Kakashi sprinted to the pink-haired girl on the couch, trying to drink hot tea without letting go of the blanket and exposing herself. "Put these on, Ame. You really _will_ catch a cold if you stay like that."_

_Ame carefully put her cup down and turned to look at the voice addressing her. When her eyes met his bare chest, she could help it: her breath momentarily stopped. Standing in front of her was Kakashi Hatake. He wore no mask on his face. The hitai-ate had been discarded and hung to dry, leaving a grey and red eye to meet her greenish-blue ones. Perhaps the most significant thing she noticed was that he only wore loose-fitting black sweatpants. _

_Her gaze traveled from his lower face, down his slender neck and broad, muscular shoulders. His lean arms and torso were nicely sculpted, and Ame found herself secretly thanking Minato-sensei for keeping his pupil in such incredible shape. _

"_Ame?"_

"_Huh?" _That voice again, _Ame thought until she realized he was talking to her. "Oh! Clothes! Thanks!" She stood up, trying to hold the blanket closed in the front so she could take the clothing from him, accidentally exposing a good amount of shoulder in the process. "Um, where should I...?"_

"_Oh. You can use the bathroom or my room, if you like."_

_Ame had already seen the bathroom, so she opted for his bedroom. "Okay, thanks." Gripping the blanket, she padded to his bedroom, shyly closing the door behind her. Almost immediately, her nose was tickled and teased by the scent of something. She inhaled deeply as she let the blanket fall in a solid puddle at her feet. Pulling on the sweatpants that were just a bit too long for her, she thought about the smell. _It's not oak. It's not a cherry tree or plum tree. _She slipped her arms into the long sleeves of the shirt. _Douglas Fir? Maybe some Maple Tree? _She inhaled deeply as she pulled the shirt collar around her head and smoothed the length of the fabric to cover her cold and bare form. She closed her eyes. _Sandalwood._ After thinking about it a little bit more, it came to her. _Kakashi._ Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. _

"_Ame? Are you alright in there?"_

_Blushing to match her hair, the girl picked up the blanket from the floor and walked over to the door, opening it._

"_I'm fine, Kakashi. Just a little bit cold." Ame started folding the slightly damp blanket before Kakashi took it from her._

"_Come on. Let's warm up on the couch."_

Ame Haruno scrunched her nose before snuggling her face against velvet. With a small groan and a hearty yawn, she opened her light green eyes to survey her surroundings.

After Sakura joined her at the Memorial Stone for her little "breakdown," the sisters had returned home to Ame's house. Sakura insisted on making some fish stew for dinner, while Ame had suggested winding down to a movie.

Lifting her head from the brown velvet of the sofa, Ame looked over to see Sakura curled up in the matching brown chair, with a rust-coloured blanket wrapped around her body. Sitting up, Ame stretched her arms and popped her neck before turning off the television. It had been a good night after all, despite the events from earlier.

_I should probably move her, but that would be a pain, _thought Ame, as she smiled at the sight of her sleeping little sister.

Ame attempted to stand up from the sofa, only to feel protest from her body. With a sigh, she leaned over and pulled a teal blanket from a compartment hidden in her coffee table and resigned to lay back down on the couch.

As she stared at the ceiling, Ame tried to keep her thoughts on her friend at the Uchiha compound and considered requesting some time with her sister for training. Despite her best conscious efforts, however, the woman's mind continued to drift to the scent that still lingered on her couch, and the man it had originated from.

An interrogation room was not what Ame had in mind for her reunion with one, Kakashi Hatake. _... But what's done is done._ Kakashi had seen but a tiny sliver of the true Ame Haruno, and he hadn't gone running for the hills. He was still as attractive as she remembered from her youth. _Hell, he's definitely gotten hotter, Jiraiya wasn't kidding!_ She allowed her inner self to muse over the jounin uniform and crazy silver locks from this morning. _It's not like we're teenagers. You can't just pick up where you left off, fifteen years later... _She tried to reason with herself. _Still, it's not like you can avoid him, now. Even if he's not ANBU anymore, he's still one of Sakura's teammates..._

She closed her eyes and scrunched her face in frustration at the ceiling before hesitantly opening one eye at her sister. Chuckling at the battling emotions insider her, Ame came to a compromise. _Dinner. It's harmless and it's great for getting reacquainted. We'll talk, we'll yell, we'll settle the past in a _mature and reasonable _way..._ She felt her inner self snort. _Without sex. Yeah, better add that in for good measure._ Ame sighed.

She was also going to need to introduce Itachi to her sister, not to mention, meet the rest of these crazy friends of Sakura's.

_Perfect! Get Sakura out of the house by suggesting Ino help her plan a welcome back party for Itachi and Sasuke to be held in the next couple of weeks._ Ame congratulated herself for coming up with something so clever. _That way, Kakashi and I can talk in peace. Maybe we can't pick up where we left off, but we can, at least, be friends._

With a content and sleepy smile, Ame cuddled up to the back of the couch. With a quick blush of her cheeks, she giggled before nuzzling the cushion and surrendering to rest. It was almost like snuggling with Kakashi...


	11. Chapter 11

**Whenever It Rains**

**Naruto**

**Pairings: Kaka/Other, more to come**

**Rated: M (eventually)**

**Chapter 11 - Morning Meetings**

_Author's Note - Sorry about the later update. I rewrote this chapter and decided the second version was better. Plus, I work and go to school full time and just got food poisoning. Read, review and enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. They just spend a lot of time in my head._

--

As the sun rose in the sky and peeked through the window, Kakashi Hatake deeply wished he had remembered to close the curtains before passing out, the previous night. His mismatched eyes flickered open as he took in the orange, pink and blue hues streaked along the horizon. It was a beautiful sight and he couldn't help but scold himself for not enjoying the sunrise more often.

Sighing, the man rolled into an upright position, his feet planted on the wooden floor as he stretched his arms and bare torso. His muscles were sore and he silently berated himself for consuming so much sake with Genma and Asuma. With a groan, Kakashi stood up and made his way to the bathroom to begin his morning routine, albeit earlier than he normally would.

After a hot shower that was, admittedly, longer than it needed to be, Kakashi settled down to brush his teeth and shave. A quick glance out the bathroom door told him it was barely six-thirty, thanks to the clock he kept on his living room wall. _I'll definitely have some time to kill before Tsunade gets to the Tower,_ he thought, remembering that he needed to pull his team from the active roster so they could readjust to the presence and abilities of Sasuke.

As he rinsed his face, removing the last renegade bits of shaving cream, Kakashi looked up at his reflection. His gaze fell specifically to the scar that bisected the Sharingan he had received as a gift. He traced a finger along the silver-tinged skin, remembering the first encounter with his new reflection...

_**Seventeen years ago...**_

_At fourteen, he had become a different person. The teenager studied himself in the mirror, something he had never done until now. His grey eye surveyed the mismatched gaze. _It's only an eye,_ Kakashi tried to tell himself,_ but it was Obito's...

_That it had healed the way it had was another fact that caught his attention, and everyone else's, for that matter. Despite her skill in emergency situations, Rin had warned him about slight internal and external bleeding once the transplant had been completed. Because of that and severe chakra exhaustion, he had been dragged to the hospital upon their return to Konoha. _

_Kakashi didn't remember much from his hospital stay, other than the fact that it was unusually short given the condition he had arrived in. Even Rin had remarked how odd it was that Kakashi had healed so well, despite such an unusual colour scar, not to mention his recovery from life-threatening chakra depletion in a matter of just two days. When Kakashi suggested she take it as a sign of her underestimated healing abilities, the brunette blushed and quickly shook her head. "I don't know of anyone with healing chakra like _that_."_

_One thing the teenager _did_ remember was a dream he had before he woke up in the hospital bed. It was of a smiling girl with pink hair and pale green eyes. "...I'll be waiting for you," she whispered, before her lips grazed the fabric over his mouth in an innocent kiss._

_The memory caused the silver haired teen to sigh. Minato-sensei had given his team the week off, hoping they would all be able to properly mourn the loss of their teammate. Kakashi had been grateful; Rin was still a sobbing mess and had finally sought counseling from some scary guy in a black trench coat, while Minato-sensei spent his time meditating. Kakashi knew he had tears, rage and pain sealed up somewhere... He just wasn't sure how to deal with it, and the new chore of adjusting to the Sharingan wasn't helping._

_Kakashi chanced a look at the clock. _She has to be there by now, _he thought as he pictured a pale, petite frame topped by a rose mop of hair. The mental image caused him to blush and return his gaze to the reflection in the mirror. _

_Looks had never mattered to the teen. He shaved, he bathed, he did what he needed to do to maintain his reputation as "the perfect shinobi." Now, he couldn't help but feel the slight injury to the sense of vanity he never knew he had. _Will she think it's ugly? Will she get scared? Will she run away, never wanting to see me again?_ The questions kept attacking from all angles until he finally took a deep breath and stood up. _

_Covering the lower half of his face with the mask, Kakashi studied the silver scar on more time before making up his mind. He tugged on his hitai-ate so that it covered the Sharingan, and fell crooked across his face. With a deep breath and a nod of satisfaction, he bolted out of the apartment in search of a girl named Ame._

Kakashi shook himself from his thoughts, giving his clean-shaven face one more rinse before turning off the water faucet. _Maybe a quick visit to the Memorial Stone is in order_, he mused as he made his way to the bedroom to get dressed. As he wrapped bandages around his clothed shins, Kakashi contemplated his next move.

Ame Haruno had awakened in the most uncomfortable position possible. her top half had twisted in the opposite direction of her bottom half, causing her feet to hang off the end of the couch, just beyond the warm reach of the blanket. _Nothing some training can't fix_, she shrugged to herself.

Seeing her sister still curled up peacefully on the chair, Ame willed herself to her feet and padded over to the bathroom. Stripping down to nothing, Ame turned on the hot water and got in the shower, immediately feeling better as the drops hit her tense, lean muscles. Two mint-scented scrub-downs and twenty minutes later, Ame stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel.

She walked to her bedroom, grabbing a pair of panties and some bindings from a dresser drawer. _I should probably go for a run before that training with Anko and Ibiki-sensei,_ Ame hesitated before her closet. Shrugging, she reached for a short black skort, one of her black ANBU tank tops and a dark red three-quarter sleeved tie-closure wraparound top. She pulled a pair of her ANBU metal shin guards out, as well, and fastened them to her legs before grabbing a roll of bandages.

As she wrapped a section of her thigh, Ame sighed in frustration. _Odds are, Ibiki-sensei has removed me from the mission roster._ She frowned, tucking the last five centimeters of fabric under previous layers before grabbing her weapons pouch from the night stand.

Finished with that task, Ame assessed the contents. _Kunai, senbon, shuriken, minor medical supplies..._ Her gaze traveled to the desk, littered with the rough sketches and sensual scribbles of her beloved former perverted sensei. _Shit! I should probably deliver that edited manuscript to Jiraiya!_ Quickly, she collected the papers (smirking as a particularly enticing encounter between the latest male and female leads caught her eye) and formed the hand seals for an object henge.

On her way to the doorway to pull on her sandals, Ame stole a glimpse of her sixteen year old sister, still sleeping by some miracle of muscle contortion on the pillowy brown arm chair. _She'll probably threaten homicide anyway, so what's the harm?_ Smirking, Ame tiptoed beside Sakura and flicked her nose.

The younger pink haired girl's reaction was immediate as she bolted upright, her eyes wide and her forehead wrinkled in a dangerous mixture of annoyance and anger. "What was that for?!" Sakura snarled, a vein bulging on her broad forehead.

Ame feigned innocence, smiling sweetly at her cranky sibling. "I just thought maybe you would like to go with me to drop off something at Jiraiya-sensei's before checking the mission schedule and then join me for a run," she offered, already predicting Sakura's response.

"Ugh! Pervy-sannin?! Why do you still talk to him?" The teenager groaned, earning an amused laugh from her sister.

"Well, he _does_ technically _pay_ me to read and edit his manuscripts."

"Which makes you a pervert, by association."

Ame rolled her eyes. "Explain."

"Well, you know and talk to Jiraiya. And you read his novels."

The older pink haired woman snorted. "Ah, but you know me and Kakashi, for that matter. so, going along with your theory, wouldn't that make _you_ a pervert, as well?"

Sakura clenched her jaw, sitting silent and still like a bomb ready to go off.

"Then again," Ame got up and casually walked over the entry way. "You never _openly_ do or say anything that could be considered 'dirty.' So, I guess that makes you a 'closet pervert,' now doesn't it?" Ame pulled on her sandals just in time for the fireworks to go off.

Sakura stood up from the chair she previously sat and slept on, pure rage painting red blotchy hues on her pales face. Ame tried not to laugh.

"So, no to training, then?"

Ame ran out the door just in time. Sakura began throwing every pillow she could find at the entry way. "_OUT!_"

_**At the Hokage Tower...**_

Tsunade rubbed her temples. It was early, too early, and she had a lot of papers to get through before she (_well, Shizune, really..._) would feel satisfied that anything and been accomplished. The knock on the door startled her, as she checked her appointment book. _Ibiki and the Uchiha boys aren't due here for another two hours_, she thought as concern kicked in. A quick search for chakra caused her to sigh. "What is it, Kakashi?"

The door opened to reveal her best, and most lazy, shinobi. Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise as she quickly assessed his clean jounin uniform and the fresh scent of soap and... _is that cologne?..._

"You're up early, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade clasped her hands together, lowering her mouth behind them in an attempt to shield her very amused and slightly curious expression. "I should say the same thing, Hatake." Her golden eyes caught the slight blush that flared and quickly disappeared from just under his exposed right eye. "What can I do for you?"

Kakashi cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a bit awkward under the blond woman's scrutinizing gaze. "I wanted to request Team Seven's removal from the mission roster."

The woman sitting at the desk nodded. "I have already taken care of it, given yesterday's events. Anything else?"

She watched the jounin shift uncomfortably in front of her before speaking up. "How is Sasuke?"

Sensing the man's hesitation to talk about something _(or more likely, someone)_ else, Tsunade sighed. "Medically," she started, "Sasuke is healthy as any other teenager. He received from Ame's genjutsu without any complications."

The Copy Nin nodded before asking his next question, though he had a pretty good idea what her answer would be. "What about emotionally?"

"He's a mess," Tsunade admitted, "but he could be a lot worse." She carefully replaced the paper in front of her to a folder, which she tossed in her outbox. "The initial anger, contempt and rage he harboured towards Itachi is gradually subsiding, which is good news."

"But?"

"But... He's slipping into a depression, Kakashi." Tsunade saw the confusion in his eye.

"What do you mean?"

"All this time, Sasuke believed he was alone. He believed Itachi was a mass murderer and that the acquisition of power, by any means necessary, was the solution and his purpose in life." Tsunade got up and perched herself at the front of her desk, eyes never leaving the last of the Hatake clan." He's trying to come to the terms with who Itachi really is, a selfless hero... just like your father."

Kakashi's stance stiffened in what Tsunade could only guess was an attempt to maintain a stoic composure. "Has he mentioned his teammates?"

"Well, that was going to be the topic of today's discussion." Tsunade stood up and made her way back to her desk chair. "I have a meeting with Sasuke, Itachi and Ibiki in a couple of hours. Sasuke will be sent to the Uchiha compound with Itachi tomorrow afternoon, at the earliest, provided that Ibiki and his team feel he is ready."

"You don't think it's too soon?" Kakashi looked a very surprised Tsunade in the eyes. "Sasuke's a bright boy. Surely he has it in him to-"

"-No." The blond didn't hesitate with her answer. "Ibiki and his team will make sure of it." She watched the silver haired man slouch his posture. "I'm not fooling around, Kakashi. Sasuke's already got the reputation of a traitor, not unlike his brother. No, it won't be fast and easy... for _either_," Tsunade wanted to emphasize the circumstances to make it clear. "But Ibiki and Anko's post-interrogation session suggests that maybe in the next four days, you can start resuming team training with Sasuke present."

"What are your orders, then?" Kakashi made an effort to straighten his posture.

Tsunade sighed. "Well, I'd suggest holding a session or two with Sakura and Naruto to get them used to the idea. Odds are, your team will have a session with Ibiki on how to deal with Sasuke, especially once we make it public that he and Itachi are no longer under the status of 'missing nin.'"

Kakashi raised his exposed silver eyebrow incredulously. "You're not afraid it will put Itachi Uchiha's life at risk?"

"No more 'at risk' than it was, already," Tsunade replied. "Look, Kakashi, I know your team doesn't exactly have the friendliest history with the eldest Uchiha, but he's reliable and truly cares about the village _and_ his brother. Maybe you should join Itachi and Ame for some training?" She watched in amusement as Kakashi started rubbing the back of his neck, his infamous nervous gesture.

"Uh, well..."

"Besides, with their younger siblings on your team, I imagine you'll be seeing quite more of Itachi, and Ame." Tsunade's lips quirked upward in a smirk. "Plus, Ame will be assisting Ibiki and Anko, with regard to Sasuke."

"Oh."

"It was enough to make Tsunade burst into giggles while Kakashi's eye darted from one direction to the other. "Do yourself a favour, Kakashi. Talk to them, especially Ame."

"Why's that?" His eyebrow arched upward, causing the woman to snort as a full-on fit of laughter threatened her composure.

"Because you and Itachi are dangerously alike. As for Ame," she sighed. "she felt guilty about keeping you in the dark about so much." A gentle knock sounded at the door. "Speaking of which... enter, please."

A pink haired woman entered the office. When her grey-green eyes fell upon Kakashi, they immediately darted back to the Hokage. "I saw the light, Hokage-sama. I didn't think you had appointments this early."

"Seems you're not the only one." Tsunade smirked from one elite to the other. "What can I do for you, Ame?"

The kunoichi looked at the floor. Blushing out of frustration or embarrassment, she finally mumbled. "Have you seen Jiraiya-sensei?"

The blond snorted while Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "He's still in Konoha, I know that much. It's too early for his peeping..."

Ame sighed. "Forget it. With any luck, he'll find me." She shook her head, silently cursing the old man's habits. "Oh, what time should I be here for Sasuke's session?"

Tsunade pursed her lips. "I believe I told you to take a couple of days off... A direct order you blatantly ignored, I might add-"

"-Ibiki-sensei wanted me there-"

"-And when he saw the mess of emotions you left in, he instantly regretted it," Tsunade cut her off. "Take the next couple of days off, Ame."

"But-"

"You can read Anko and Ibiki's notes on Sasuke, if you want. The plan is to have Sasuke training with Team Seven in the next four days. I want you there to keep him in line, so you'll need the rest."

The pink haired woman's posture slumped. Tsunade knew Ame would take it hard, but so much had happened in just a matter of days... _Perhaps Ibiki was right; she's trying too hard to deal with everything..._ Remembering her other guest, Tsunade narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mouth rising in a wicked smirk. "Hatake?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi stepped forward.

"I have a new mission for you, after all." She watched in amusement as Ame glared jealous daggers at the Copy Nin.

"Yes?"

"You are to include Ame Haruno in Team Seven's training, effective immediately."

"WHAT?!" Ame's eyes narrowed to the blond.

"Come again?" Kakashi lazy tone squeaked from his masked lips.

"Think of it this way," Tsunade smiled at the two very shocked shinobi. "Ame, you need to evaluate the environment Sasuke is returning to, anyway. Kakashi, you need some more intensive training to keep you ego in check, not to mention some preparations before Sasuke rejoins you..." Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter. _These two really are hopeless_... "And you both have quite a bit of catching up to do."

The last sentence caused both shinobi to look at each other, then at the floor. At that moment, it took everything in Tsunade not to fall all over her desk in laughter. _Oh Jiraiya, you'd enjoy this._ She promised herself to describe the meeting to her former teammate.

Meanwhile, the silver haired man remained as still and stoic as possible, unsure of whether to curse his superior or thank her. He turned to his left, where Ame Haruno was picking her jaw, and her composure, up from the ground. She sighed before opening her mouth again. "Did Ibiki put you up to this?" Kakashi noted the raised, skeptical pink eyebrow with amusement. _If that had been Sakura, she would have already destroyed the Hokage's office_... "Or do you have a bet going?" The dangerous smirk made the Copy Nin step back

Tsunade didn't flinch. She met the young woman's stare head-on. A moment passed and, finally, she raised her own brow. "Should I be making one?"

Growling in frustration, Ame spun on her heel and stomped out of the office, slamming the door behind her. After the room stopped shaking and she was certain she wouldn't be heard, Tsunade lost it. Kakashi watched as the woman before him fell slave to laughing fit that, he was certain, would put Might Guy to shame. Tears streamed down her face as she gripped the desk. "Oh, the look on her pretty little face was worth it! Jiraiya has no idea what he just missed!"

"Uh, Hokage-sama?"

"Ohhh, what is it, Hatake?" Tsunade waved, shaking her head at the serious expression he maintained.

"I think you just sent me on a suicide mission."

The blond looked up and started laughing again. "Oh Kakashi, really... She'll train a bit on her own and by the time she meets up with you and your team, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"But..."

"I mean it, Kakashi. OUT."

Two angry women in one morning was more than enough. Kakashi gave a quick salute and disappeared with a poof.

When Shizune came in to check on her superior, she found the blond in an indignant pile on the floor, slumped over in hysterical laughter. Early for his appointment, Ibiki entered the office, initially suspecting poisoning. A glass of sake later, Shizune and Ibiki had joined the Hokage in laughter while the Uchiha clan waited in chairs outside, wondering what all the fuss was about.


End file.
